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mdalida's review against another edition
4.0
I really did end up liking this book, though I am sad to say that I was a little disappointed at parts of it 😔 When you've been anticipating a book for months and feel giddy at reading the synopsis picturing how the plot line will go, then to see it on your library list waiting to move from 6th in line to finally getting your copy?? And then to be kinda underwhelmed as you start to read it?? It's disappointing to say the least.
I loved Eva Leigh's other series, so I was excited to hear that this was the first in a new series!
Second chance romance, class differences, and steamy sex scenes. Bam - catnip galore!
The heroine was the typical poor girl grown up in poor town with no one to care for her until some benevolent swindler teaches her the ropes to survive on her wits and the witless fools she can trick. I ended up not feeling much empathy for her.. I thought that she kept saying how she wanted out of this kind of life, so I would've thought that she'd have a plan to get out? But no, she sorta lived from one scheme to the next, so no savings, no plan, no feeling that she so very desperately wanted out enough to seek other ways.
The hero pulled me in - something of why I like the stereotype of England; the stuff-upper-lip aristos who yearn to break free from their golden cage is a characterization that I always fall for. And then, the dirty talk is thrilling to me:-) He had all the privilege in the world and still advocated for bettering the lives of the disadvantaged, still was naive enough to believe in the sweet honorable widow, and still open hearted enough to forgive her and fall in love.
I like Eva Leigh because she's definitely a feminist:-) she writes about women's plights in each of her books, and her heroes are also feminists. I love it. Also, her sex scenes are definitely steamy! I think that's the first time I've read an exhibitionist scene in a historical romance! I like that the characters were older: his 38 to her 31 y/o.
The plot was odd at times and so so so contrived at others. Did the hero happen to be in the perfect place to overhear how the heroine had duped him or was it set up? Why would someone who stole gobs of money NOT flee quickly? How contrived was it to have the story take them to a sex den and then sit there for 5 hours holding hands (also, is this Orchid place with masks real? Because it's the same thing Elizabeth Hoyt mentions in the Raven Prince......)?
Overall, I liked the story premise, even if the execution seemed wobbly. I liked the characters together, even if their characterization seemed a bit rote.
I loved Eva Leigh's other series, so I was excited to hear that this was the first in a new series!
Second chance romance, class differences, and steamy sex scenes. Bam - catnip galore!
The heroine was the typical poor girl grown up in poor town with no one to care for her until some benevolent swindler teaches her the ropes to survive on her wits and the witless fools she can trick. I ended up not feeling much empathy for her.. I thought that she kept saying how she wanted out of this kind of life, so I would've thought that she'd have a plan to get out? But no, she sorta lived from one scheme to the next, so no savings, no plan, no feeling that she so very desperately wanted out enough to seek other ways.
The hero pulled me in - something of why I like the stereotype of England; the stuff-upper-lip aristos who yearn to break free from their golden cage is a characterization that I always fall for. And then, the dirty talk is thrilling to me:-) He had all the privilege in the world and still advocated for bettering the lives of the disadvantaged, still was naive enough to believe in the sweet honorable widow, and still open hearted enough to forgive her and fall in love.
I like Eva Leigh because she's definitely a feminist:-) she writes about women's plights in each of her books, and her heroes are also feminists. I love it. Also, her sex scenes are definitely steamy! I think that's the first time I've read an exhibitionist scene in a historical romance! I like that the characters were older: his 38 to her 31 y/o.
The plot was odd at times and so so so contrived at others. Did the hero happen to be in the perfect place to overhear how the heroine had duped him or was it set up? Why would someone who stole gobs of money NOT flee quickly? How contrived was it to have the story take them to a sex den and then sit there for 5 hours holding hands (also, is this Orchid place with masks real? Because it's the same thing Elizabeth Hoyt mentions in the Raven Prince......)?
Overall, I liked the story premise, even if the execution seemed wobbly. I liked the characters together, even if their characterization seemed a bit rote.
desiree_mcl's review against another edition
DNF'd not going to rate.
Ok, so I tried to read a different book by this author about a month ago, I only read a chapter and set it aside, the 1st chapter just didn't grip me. Then I tried to read this one, listened to about an hour and a half of the audio and I wasn't a fan of the writing style.
Ok, so I tried to read a different book by this author about a month ago, I only read a chapter and set it aside, the 1st chapter just didn't grip me. Then I tried to read this one, listened to about an hour and a half of the audio and I wasn't a fan of the writing style.
allymarciewrites's review against another edition
5.0
THIS IS WHAT I CAME FOR, PEOPLE.
I loved this. Top to bottom loved this. A heroine in her thirties! A man awakening to the nuances of life! A critique of survival as a man vs as a woman! Angst! HOT HOT HOT SEX! This book, in the words of Stefon, has everything.
I loved this. Top to bottom loved this. A heroine in her thirties! A man awakening to the nuances of life! A critique of survival as a man vs as a woman! Angst! HOT HOT HOT SEX! This book, in the words of Stefon, has everything.
tales_of_a_bookbug's review against another edition
4.0
REVIEW
As much as I love the HR genre, its at times to difficult to find books that don't have repetitive storylines. So amongst all these reading From Duke Till Dawn is like a breath of fresh air as it is so different from what we usually find. Usually very few books focus on characters that aren't nobles, because even though the aristocracy had its own set of problems, the poor and the general populace had it even worse, and those stories are hard to romanticise. So that's why I love finding books like these that dont focus on the nobles alone.
In this book, have Alex, the Duke of Greyland who gave up a piece of his heart to a poor widow years ago and he hasn't been able to find her again. Little does he know that his widow is actually a con artist, Cassandra. When he finds her in a gaming hall, he's overjoyed to meet her, and after some deliberation, is finally ready to give her everything. Just as he's about to do so, he finds out the truth about her and cuts all ties. But when Cassandra gets embroiled in a problem well beyond her limits, the duke is the only one she can turn to for help. Will he help or will the desire for revenge overshadow his feelings? And even if they work together, will they be able to resist the passion that burns hot between them?
I really loved the story and its characters! It was so well crafted and executed brilliantly! Alex in the beginning was a little stiff, controlled and proper. But as the story progresses the events bring out the passionate man in him and I loved seeing the other side of him come out. And how Cassandra was the catalyst for all of it. He might have been attracted to the demure widow that she played, but its the real, fearless, loyal Cass who actually steals his heart, even though he wanted nothing to do with her! Each made the other see a different side of the world as they'd never seen before!
In addition to the romance, I also loved the descriptions of the London Underground, the places that they visited in search of the person who Cassandra trusted the most, but the one who betrayed her. Cassandra has had a hard life, and though Alex might hate her for what she did, he slowly begins to see things from her perspective too. Another thing I liked about Alex was that, even though he was hurt and angry, he never unfairly took it out on her. He helped her to the best of his ability.
All through the book, I was so scared about the ending as I knew there's no way for this relationship to practically work out and be accepted by the ton. So I was dreading the ending. But the author cleverly came up with a way to bring these two together and I loved it!
Cant wait to read the next in the London Underground series!!
And if you're looking for something different from a traditional HR book, then this is the one for you! Trust me you'll love it!!
As much as I love the HR genre, its at times to difficult to find books that don't have repetitive storylines. So amongst all these reading From Duke Till Dawn is like a breath of fresh air as it is so different from what we usually find. Usually very few books focus on characters that aren't nobles, because even though the aristocracy had its own set of problems, the poor and the general populace had it even worse, and those stories are hard to romanticise. So that's why I love finding books like these that dont focus on the nobles alone.
In this book, have Alex, the Duke of Greyland who gave up a piece of his heart to a poor widow years ago and he hasn't been able to find her again. Little does he know that his widow is actually a con artist, Cassandra. When he finds her in a gaming hall, he's overjoyed to meet her, and after some deliberation, is finally ready to give her everything. Just as he's about to do so, he finds out the truth about her and cuts all ties. But when Cassandra gets embroiled in a problem well beyond her limits, the duke is the only one she can turn to for help. Will he help or will the desire for revenge overshadow his feelings? And even if they work together, will they be able to resist the passion that burns hot between them?
I really loved the story and its characters! It was so well crafted and executed brilliantly! Alex in the beginning was a little stiff, controlled and proper. But as the story progresses the events bring out the passionate man in him and I loved seeing the other side of him come out. And how Cassandra was the catalyst for all of it. He might have been attracted to the demure widow that she played, but its the real, fearless, loyal Cass who actually steals his heart, even though he wanted nothing to do with her! Each made the other see a different side of the world as they'd never seen before!
In addition to the romance, I also loved the descriptions of the London Underground, the places that they visited in search of the person who Cassandra trusted the most, but the one who betrayed her. Cassandra has had a hard life, and though Alex might hate her for what she did, he slowly begins to see things from her perspective too. Another thing I liked about Alex was that, even though he was hurt and angry, he never unfairly took it out on her. He helped her to the best of his ability.
All through the book, I was so scared about the ending as I knew there's no way for this relationship to practically work out and be accepted by the ton. So I was dreading the ending. But the author cleverly came up with a way to bring these two together and I loved it!
Cant wait to read the next in the London Underground series!!
And if you're looking for something different from a traditional HR book, then this is the one for you! Trust me you'll love it!!
princesspaige's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
carleysuzanne's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
labyrinth_witch's review against another edition
3.0
The London Underground series is about lowborn women and highborn boys. I’m not so much of a fan of this series as the “rakes” of the London ton have very few redeemable qualities in my opinion. So I’m just not a fan of the male characters the way I have been of the males on her other series.
The female character of this novel is a swindler. When the male character discovers he’s been swindled, he agrees to help her find the partner that cheated her to get his “blunt” back. In the process going to all sorts of spaces in London where he’s out of his element and has to defer to her street savvy to get by. Somewhere along the way he falls in love with her bravery and she falls in love with his concern for her welfare.
The female character of this novel is a swindler. When the male character discovers he’s been swindled, he agrees to help her find the partner that cheated her to get his “blunt” back. In the process going to all sorts of spaces in London where he’s out of his element and has to defer to her street savvy to get by. Somewhere along the way he falls in love with her bravery and she falls in love with his concern for her welfare.
lanidacey's review against another edition
3.0
This was okay. The connection between the main couple felt a bit forced. This was technically a second-chance romance and I'm not a fan of those. If it didn't work the first time, don't bother me by trying again a second time. I'll still probably check out the rest of the series, because I like Leigh's writing.
(Also, I listened to it on audio and wasn't in love with the narration. I'll read the next one and see if there's any improvement.)
(Also, I listened to it on audio and wasn't in love with the narration. I'll read the next one and see if there's any improvement.)
trish33's review
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25