Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine

Should I read in order?
It’s not totally necessary but I think if you can, yes. There is a series long mystery going on that slowly builds about the brother’s father being a bigamist. Though, most of the detective work happens in this novel.

Basic plot:
Charles is ready to fight for his dukedom and it leads him to Frome where he meets the intriguing Tessa Neville.

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (1810)
- Frome setting (near Bath?)
- Working together to solve a mystery
- Heroine does the leg work/financial aspect for investing for her brother – in this book she’s looking into a canal/lock venture
- A touch of class difference feel – the hero is a duke and the heroine is a sister of a Viscount but there is a lot of talk and doubt about her being ‘worthy’
- Medium steam – 3 scenes I counted, it is a touch smushed together though

Ages:
- Heroine is not yet 30, hero I didn’t catch his age, but he must be in his 30s because the youngest brother I have at 28 years old. (And this hero is the eldest of 3)

My thoughts:
I just thought this one was all right. It felt to me it was more focused on the mystery here and the relationship wasn’t front and center. There were some separation while they each worked on their own things. And *whine whine * I just like what I like in romance and I didn’t get what I wanted here.

It’s definitely not a bad book but I tend to get bored with mystery aspects and I did here. I thought the book was over repeatedly but it kept going on for 20% more and I was just really, really ready for it to be done.

I will say I did like Charles growth over the course of the series. I didn’t like him AT ALL when I started book 1, so it was nice to see him find his own place in life. (another reason to read in order for this one). And I did like Tessa. There was some humor and steam and it was..pleasant. I was also bored in parts. I don’t think would reread this one but I’m so proud of myself for completing a whole series haha.

Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:

“I want you. You satisfy me very much. I want you pouring over my books, telling me when the under butler is siphoning off funds meant for coal. I want you telling me what bonds and shares to purchase, but quietly so my brother will think I’ve become a financial genius overnight. I want you beneath me in bed at night, telling me when you ride you harder and digging your nails into my shoulders. I want you looking at me as you’re doing now, as if I’ve lost my mind and you must be especially gentle and kind to me.”
 

Content warnings:

- Remembrance of a manipulative relationship where the heroine was taken advantage of
- Infidelity – the hero sleeps with his old crush when she’s married and (view spoiler)

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

 
4% - kiss with another woman
47% - kiss
55% - 🔥 kisses, missionary
61% - kisses, oral for her that fades
64% - 🔥 doggy style
73% - 🔥 outdoor standing sex against the old mill