Let’s be clear: I adore Loretta Chase and will continue to read anything she writes, but unfortunately, this book wasn’t one of her best. While I enjoyed the buildup of Alice and Blackwood’s relationship in her previous Difficult Dukes novels, I finished the book feeling disappointed by the final product.

The story takes place in two timeframes: one is approximately a year before the events of the previous Difficult Dukes novels, and the second is after those books conclude. I kept wishing that we’d spent more time exploring their relationship in the second timeframe, rather than reading about what prompted their marriage for approximately 70% of the book. Even a 50/50 split would have been better, and we could have cut down on some of the unnecessary adventures and shenanigans. 

From a writing and editing standpoint, the book is almost flawless, like most Loretta books are. She has a way with words that’s hard to ignore, so although I didn’t enjoy the narrative itself, I loved the prose and gorgeously researched descriptions. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC! All opinions are my own.