A Devil of a Duke by Madeline Hunter book review

You may have already met the Duke of Langford in the other Decadent Dukes Society series and Madeline Hunter gifts us with a enthralling story and a beautiful book cover...delivered like a present with a fancy bow ;)

The Duke of Langford is known as a scandalous rogue, who women find irresistable. *fans self*. He ends up at a ball because he is looking for a blackmailer and who just wants to hang out with his friends. He misses his other friend who recently got married, so this is a chance to spend some time together. Even though he wasn’t really looking for a woman, he meets a beautiful masked woman (Amanda Waverly), who does not reveal herself, but does let the Duke kiss her. Of course, they can’t stop thinking about each other. Since Amanda works as a secretary with a secret past, she does not harbor any fantasies of marrying the Duke. Amanda is not looking for romance because she has more pressing matters to tend to. Her mother has been kidnapped and Amanda feels that she must save her. Amanda has been running away from her past, but has found herself right back in it.

Amanda is a strong female character who has made her own way in Victorian England. I love all the female characters in this series because they are not afraid of being looked down upon by high society, they value reading and writing and have found creative ways to find their own paths in life. The detailed encounters between Amanda and Langford will have you rooting for them long before they realize a possible future for themselves.

The character and setting details are so thorough that you will feel like you are in Victorian England watching the romance unfold. There are elements of mystery, action and romance in this book. The dialogue flows between the characters in both poignant and humorous conversations.

Hunter is one of my favorite authors and I always look forward to new releases. If you love historical romance, you will not be disappointed by this book. It should come with a warning label because you won’t stop reading until you are done. Oh, and a glass of wine will help you settle right in to this decadent story.

The Work Wife by Allison B. Hanson

The Work Wife is the third book in Allison B. Hanson’s “An on the Job” series and I have enjoyed them all so far. They can be read as stand alone books, but my personal preference is to read series book in order. It’s the librarian in me.

This friends -to- lovers story slowly builds from a solid friendship to some sizzling romantic chemistry. Because they worked together for five years, they did not let any romantic feelings enter their relationship. When Jamie proposes a marriage “arrangement”, Wes is agreeable. The figured they spend all their time together at work, why not capitalize on that relationship. After they got married they realized just how close their friendship had made them. They knew more about each other than some couples who were in long term marriages. Jamie and Weston both have a few secrets they hadn’t really shared with each other. This story takes you on that journey to uncover an even deeper love.

Once I got into this book, I had a hard time putting it down. If you pick it up during a week night, you might have a book hangover the next morning. This is a sweet, fun, contemporary romance with a satisfying ending. A perfect summer read.

Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London book review

Sizzling, sexy and so much fun! I am a sucker for a good librarian romance story and Bad Bachelor delivers.

Darcy is the hip librarian, working hard in her library that needs more funding and swearing off men for a while. She is cool, smart and witty. I loved her right away. She is a little prickly with me, but with good reason. Her friends are fun and I could totally relate to her. We’d be good friends in real life. Reed McMahon kind of starts as the man you love to hate. He is in PR, which is the total opposite of librarianship, and can spin stories with the best of them. It’s his job to make people look good and he is perfect at playing the part. However, the reader and Darcy find out at the same time that there really is a lot more to him.

There is a bit of mystery as to who is behind the Bad Bachelors app that is making Reed look really bad and is actually threatening his job. He hires a PI to try to get to the bottom of all the bad publicity he is getting through poor reviews. Reed and Darcy are opposites, but man, is the chemistry between them HOT! Their witty banter will have you cracking up throughout the book. As both their secrets are revealed, you will be rooting for them to make their relationship work. The story is set in New York City and it makes you want to go explore Darcy’s public library. You won’t be able to put this book down once you start it. Highly recommended….especially if you are a librarian.