For a dashing duke and the proprietress of a secret, sensual club, passion could lead to love…
Thomas Powell, the new Duke of Northfield, knows he should be proper and principled, like his father. No more duelling, or carousing, or frequenting masked balls. But he’s not ready to give up his freedom just yet.

Lucia—known as Amina—manages the Orchid Club, a secret society where fantasies become reality. Yet no member of the club has ever intrigued her…until him, the masked stranger whose heated looks sear her skin. After months of suppressed longing, do they dare to give in to temptation… ?

Title: Dare to Love a Duke
Author: Eva Leigh
Series: London Underground / Scandalous Ladies of London
Pages: 384
Genre(s): Historical, Regency, England
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This is the third book in the Scandalous Ladies of London series (also known as the London Underground series). While the couples from the first two books (From Duke Til(l) Dawn and Counting on a Countess respectively) pop up in this tale - this can be read entirely as a standalone.

I enjoyed the first two books in the series - giving them both 4 stars - but this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. I think that might partly have been because both Tom and Amina/Lucia have appeared throughout the series with little glimpses that set out to tempt readers into wanting to know the couple’s story. Instead, I always thought they were a mismatched pair which definitely had me going into this book waiting to be convinced.

And I was not convinced.

I normally like a couple who are hugely different in some way and have to find a way to overcome their situation/temprement/ideals etc to be together. In this story, I found Lucia and Tom were so similar - jaded, world wise characters - that even their difference in stations hardly seemed insurmountable.

I also very much enjoy sex in a story - in fact I prefer a story with some graphic shenanigans going on and if there’s graphic language it’s all the better. So I was very much surprised that I found the sex, and the descriptions of the Orchid Club’s goings on, to be vulgar, gratuitous and a little gross. And the use of all the f-words in a Regency tale…well, it didn’t feel right, somehow.

Despite the writing being good, I found myself massively struggling to finish this book. I understand that much of this might have been due to my preconceived notions about the book and its characters - which is why I feel it’s only fair that I up my grading to 3 stars instead of my initial thoughts of 2.

Not a book for me, but if you like the idea of a worldly woman who manages a sex club matching with a worldly duke who frequents said sex club - then this very well could be tale for you. But just 3 stars from me.

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* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

The London Underground / Scandalous Ladies of London Series:

       

         

       

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All I want is to play hockey on the Ice Knights, instead, I'm in a viral video for all the wrong reasons and my mom--yes, my mom--has taken over my dating apps. Then, when I think it can't get any worse, the fates deliver Zara Ambrose, a five-feet-nothing redhead with more freckles than inches and who'd rather be anywhere other than on a date with me.

Now a bet with her friends and my PR nightmare have us both stuck in this go-on-five-dates-with-the-same-person hell situation. But if we band together, we can get the whole thing over with and go on with our lives. It's perfect! No feelings. No future. No fuc-- *ahem* fun. No naked fun.

What could go wrong? Nothing--as long as I remember the rules. Don't notice the way she looks in a dress. Don't react when she does that little shivery sigh thing whenever we touch. Don't think about the fact that she's never had a toe-curling orgasm that wasn't self-delivered and just how badly I want to change that.

Five dates--that's it--and then we go our separate ways. At least, that was the plan.

Title: Parental Guidance
Author: Avery Flynn
Series: Ice Knights (Book 1)
Pages: 221
Genre(s): Contemporary, US
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This book. Oh, this book. Every now and then I read a book that just grips me by the heart and holds on tight - and this book was it for me. It sucked me right in and I couldn’t stop reading - or thinking about it when I wasn’t able to read.

The first thing I noticed was that it’s witty as hell. I found myself laughing out loud and then highlighting the funny passages, banter and character ponderings as I read. Luckily, it was quite early on when I realised that if I continued, I would end up highlighting the whole damn book. It was just my kind of humour.

The story is a fun and unique take on the dating game - and a twist on the whole ‘fake relationship’ trope - seeing as Zara and Caleb are not a relationship and neither want to be. Right? Right.

But the story was so much more - and that was down to the truly excellent characters. Zara is everything you could want in a heroine. She’s feisty and funny with enough hang-ups and quirks to make her likeable and relatable. She’s insecure in some areas but it never feels like she’s moaning or looking for sympathy. But truly my favourite thing about her is that she’s never anyone but herself. She knows what she wants (and doesn’t want) and who she is and she’s not apologetic for it - but in the nicest possible way! She’s just fab.

And after that glowing character reference - I have to admit that Caleb was even better. Every single author should read about Caleb Stuckey and then make every single other hero in the world just like him. He was everything. He’s tough, kick-ass and knows what he wants - but it’s his vulnerabilities and fears that sucker punched me right in the heart. I felt for him so much which just added to his hotness. The perfect hero all round but more than that, the perfect hero for Zara.

And a quick shout-out to the other hero of the book - Anchovy. I love a dog in a romance novel and Anchovy was a dog and a half. I hope he pops up in the other books in the series.

Speaking of series’, this is the first book in the Ice Knight series. However, the Ice Knights’ captain, Zach Blackwell, is the hero from Tomboy, part of the Hartigans’ series. Zach appears in this book (as does Fallon) and there are a few references to their love story - but this book does stand completely alone. But, trust me, you’re going to want to go back and read Tomboy, and all the rest of Avery’s books - much like I’m about to do. And I CANNOT WAIT for the rest in the Ice Knights’ series where I hope to see Petrov, Christianson and Phillips (with or without Marti) meet their matches.

Ms Flynn’s writing style is so easy to read that it belies just how clever it really is. It’s witty, fun, fresh and by God it keeps you reading and reading - and falling further and further in love with her characters as you go.

I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. It’s one of my best reads of the year so far and I am now a firm fan of Avery Flynn. A definite 5 stars.

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* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. *

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR!

USA Today bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip.

She fell in love with romance while reading Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory books. It wasn’t long before Avery had read through all the romance offerings at her local library. Needing a romance fix, she turned to Harlequin’s four books a month home delivery service to ease the withdrawal symptoms. That worked for a short time, but it wasn’t long before the local book stores’ staffs knew her by name.
Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.

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AUTHOR LINKS!

                    

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The Ice Knights Series:

  

         

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I’m a good girl—until I got drunk in Vegas and married a panties-flaming-hot Irishman.

Oops.

I’ve always lived my life by the rules. Unlike my two sisters, I’m the good one. The responsible one. Going outside my comfort zone is when I wear red lipstick before five PM.

That comfort zone of mine? It’s smashed to smithereens on a wild night in Las Vegas when I met—and married—Liam Gallagher.

After one shot of tequila, then two, then too many to count, a good girl’s rules tend to disappear. And so do her panties, and her bra, and various other articles of clothing when she’s with an Irishman who knows his way around a woman’s body.

Now my husband wants us to stay married. For six months. He says it’ll be worth my while. Considering our chemistry underneath the sheets, I can’t say that he’s wrong.

Liam isn’t safe, though. Liam definitely isn’t comfortable. He’s like the male equivalent of wearing red lipstick in the daytime all wrapped up in an irresistible, dangerous package.

Yet this stubborn Irishman isn’t about to let me go, drunken Princess Bride-themed Vegas wedding or no.

Now I have to decide if I’m brave enough to break the rules for love.

Title: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
Author: Iris Morland
Series: The Flower Shop Sisters Book 2
Pages: tbc
Genre(s): Contemporary, US, Rom Com
Hot Buttons: tbc

Release Date: 16th July, 2019


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AUTHOR BIO!

 

A coffee addict and cat lover, Iris Morland is the author of over a dozen sexy, small-town romances and romantic comedies. If she's not reading or writing, she enjoys binging on Netflix shows and cooking something delicious.

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AUTHOR LINKS!

                  

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Click to see other books by Iris Morland

 

A merciless groom.

A not-so-convenient bride.
Scarred by his dark past, Damen Alexopoulos does not let emotion dictate anything – especially his choice of wife. So when his convenient society bride is switched at the altar for her innocent younger sister, Kassiani Dukas, Damen's adamant their marriage will remain strictly business. He's too damaged for anything more. Yet Kassiani's determination to know him – and the intense passion of their Greek island honeymoon – could be this ruthless Greek's undoing!

Title: His Shock Marriage in Greece
Author: Jane Porter
Series: /
Pages: 192
Genre(s): Mills & Boon Modern
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There’s always something comforting and pleasing about a Mills & Boon Modern romance. You know exactly what you’re getting - an alpha male hero (preferably rich), an innocent heroine, a misunderstanding of some sort and enough exotic locales that you will ache to be on holiday.

We get all that we’re hoping for with this book - all written in a style that pulls you in and makes you care about the story. And you can’t help but care for the characters in this tale, too. Kassiana feels older and wiser than her 23 years. She’s opinionated, feisty and knows what she wants yet she has a lot of hang-ups and insecurities. Her weight is probably the biggest issue that Kass has with herself. It was interesting to hear her describe herself, and then hear Damen’s description of her - and both were so startlingly different yet obviously about the same person. It felt refreshing somehow. And even with her insecurities, Kass never came across as a moaner, or mired in self-pity. I liked her.

Damon is a darn fine example of an alpha male. He’s hard, cold and man does he want to control Kass and the relationship as a whole. But he’s in for a shock as Kass was raised in America and she has opinions and she’s not afraid to share them - whether they’re invited or not. It started to frustrate me after a while that Damen wouldn’t open up (and I know it annoyed Kass!) but then Kass wouldn’t pass up an opportunity for an argument, and defied Damen in areas that I thought went too far. This swapped my frustration to Kass and made me feel more for Damen!

There were a couple of things that stopped me from giving this book 5 stars. The first was the sex scenes - or more accurately, how they were described. We had a good sizzle on the sex scenes in this book and some good interactions between the couple that gave me little butterflies. Damen was as in control in bed as he was in business/life - but the sex kept on getting described as fiery, a little bit dark and daring - with Damen being dominent. A little sizzle - yes. Dark, depraved and kinky it certainly was not. That’s in no way a problem but don’t try and sell me something that’s clearly mislabeled.

The other thing was there were a few inconsistencies in the book which annoyed me. Things such as Damen getting mad because Kass had moved out of the master suite, and then, a page or two later, being told about Kass moving out of the master suite and this being the first he’d heard of it. There were a few things like that that just irked.

But overall, this was a really good version of a classic Modern Mills & Boon tale. I was interested in the characters and their love story - I wanted them to get their happily ever after and I quickly ploughed through this book to find out what happened. I would happily pick up another Mills & Boon by Jane Porter and would also happily recommend this book to fans of this line. 4 stars for an enjoyably simple romance that has some good messages and a lot of heart.

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* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Click to see other books by Jane Porter