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robynldouglas's review against another edition
4.0
Another excellent one from Eva Leigh - the concept is amazing (proprietress of a secret London sex club finds out that the man she's been falling for is not only a Duke but also the new owner of the club....it sounds bonkers but it really works!). The two leads are beautifully realised, and the book was truly enjoyable.
maggie_the_reader's review against another edition
3.0
A good story, told with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
beckymmoe's review against another edition
5.0
Reviewed on my blog, Becky on Books, on 12/28/18.
This one may be my favorite of the series...!
I absolutely loved Tom and Lucia. Both have weighty responsibilities--Tom because he was born to them, and Lucia's because she worked her butt off to build a better life for herself and in the process has both made a new family for herself and decided that helping girls in situations similar to those she once faced to make a better life for themselves would be her new mission. They have equally precarious situations--Tom's because of a socially dangerous secret that his father kept, and Lucia's because her clandestine business and all of its employees depend on the fact that it is an (open) secret in London. Of course they are from wildly different social tiers--he's a duke, and she's the illegitimate daughter of a former Italian housekeeper and the son of a wealthy English family--a family that refused to take orphaned Lucia in, causing her to have to make her own way in a foreign country. She'd come a long way from the girl she'd been then by the time she meets Tom, but that vulnerability was still there, beneath the surface.
Ms. Leigh definitely takes her authorly responsibility to figure out what her characters are most afraid of and do that very seriously, because oh goodness, does she throw a lot at Tom and Lucia here. There were moments it was nearly impossible to see how they could possibly come through everything and still manage an HEA, but thankfully they manage to find a way, and it is brilliant.
The ending really should have come with a wear waterproof mascara when reading warning, though. I'm just saying. ;)
Dare to Love a Duke is the third in The London Underground series, but would work just fine as a standalone. Other series characters play small roles--the men as friends and sometime-supporters of Tom, the women popping up in the epilogue--but you don't have to have read their stories to thoroughly enjoy this one.
(But do yourself a favor--read all three. They. Are. So. Good. Rulebreaking heroines and the men that love them FTW!)
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This one may be my favorite of the series...!
I absolutely loved Tom and Lucia. Both have weighty responsibilities--Tom because he was born to them, and Lucia's because she worked her butt off to build a better life for herself and in the process has both made a new family for herself and decided that helping girls in situations similar to those she once faced to make a better life for themselves would be her new mission. They have equally precarious situations--Tom's because of a socially dangerous secret that his father kept, and Lucia's because her clandestine business and all of its employees depend on the fact that it is an (open) secret in London. Of course they are from wildly different social tiers--he's a duke, and she's the illegitimate daughter of a former Italian housekeeper and the son of a wealthy English family--a family that refused to take orphaned Lucia in, causing her to have to make her own way in a foreign country. She'd come a long way from the girl she'd been then by the time she meets Tom, but that vulnerability was still there, beneath the surface.
Ms. Leigh definitely takes her authorly responsibility to figure out what her characters are most afraid of and do that very seriously, because oh goodness, does she throw a lot at Tom and Lucia here. There were moments it was nearly impossible to see how they could possibly come through everything and still manage an HEA, but thankfully they manage to find a way, and it is brilliant.
The ending really should have come with a wear waterproof mascara when reading warning, though. I'm just saying. ;)
Dare to Love a Duke is the third in The London Underground series, but would work just fine as a standalone. Other series characters play small roles--the men as friends and sometime-supporters of Tom, the women popping up in the epilogue--but you don't have to have read their stories to thoroughly enjoy this one.
(But do yourself a favor--read all three. They. Are. So. Good. Rulebreaking heroines and the men that love them FTW!)
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
shell74's review against another edition
4.0
See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com
Dare to Love a Duke was not your typical historical romance. Centered around a scandalous club run by a woman who hides a troubled past, and the newly titled duke who falls for her, Eva Leigh didn’t hold back on the emotions or the passion, which made for a combustible story.
I will start by saying you can read the books in this series individually with no worries but I think they’ve all been interesting enough to check them all out. Also, this particular story dealt with the seedier side of London so there were a lot of F-bombs being dropped. A LOT. I thought it did match what I imagine the characters’ dialogue would consist of but it might be a bit jarring to some readers at first. That having been said, I loved that Eva Leigh just went for it with the setup for this romance and let Lucia and Tom do whatever it took to accomplish what they believed in and to stand up for their loved ones. Read More
Dare to Love a Duke was not your typical historical romance. Centered around a scandalous club run by a woman who hides a troubled past, and the newly titled duke who falls for her, Eva Leigh didn’t hold back on the emotions or the passion, which made for a combustible story.
I will start by saying you can read the books in this series individually with no worries but I think they’ve all been interesting enough to check them all out. Also, this particular story dealt with the seedier side of London so there were a lot of F-bombs being dropped. A LOT. I thought it did match what I imagine the characters’ dialogue would consist of but it might be a bit jarring to some readers at first. That having been said, I loved that Eva Leigh just went for it with the setup for this romance and let Lucia and Tom do whatever it took to accomplish what they believed in and to stand up for their loved ones. Read More
esquiredtoread's review against another edition
4.0
Fans of Joanna Shupe will love this! I enjoyed the politics and a very aware Duke who isn’t a jerk. Good couple I really enjoyed, this was a fun light hearted read. Just keep in mind it’s a bit more steamy than you’d probably expect.
cleocleveland's review against another edition
5.0
The last one in this series didn't quite work for me but I loved this one. I loved Tom & Lucia and (without spoilers) I adored how the ending worked out.
anrobe's review against another edition
4.0
What a great conclusion to this series. LOVE it all. This one is fantastic in how Eva Leigh addresses the lives of the women of the time, sex work and poverty in a really interesting way. I can't recommend this one or the series more. So great!
cakt1991's review against another edition
4.0
Review posted here: https://courtneyreadsromancesite.wordpress.com/2019/07/24/review-of-dare-to-love-a-duke-the-london-underground-3-by-eva-leigh/
xsophiehoughton's review against another edition
4.0
After his father's recent death, Thomas Powell knows he needs to change his ways. As the new Duke of Northfield, he should be moral, proper, and an upstanding citizen, and the first thing he needs to give up from his old life is the frequent visits to the notorious Orchid Club. For about a year, he's gone nearly every week, to meet with the manager Amina, who intrigues him, and who he wants to know more. On his final visit he convinces Amina to spend the night with him, and reveal her true name of Lucia. When a visitor appears the next morning, and it's none other than Lucia claiming that Thomas's father was the owner of the club - meaning he now is - he's more than shocked. He agrees to keep the Club running as it is, and as much as he tries to, he can't stop himself from returning again and again, and meeting with Lucia, who's more than meets the eye. Lucia doesn't want to be in charge of a sex club, but is saving up to fund a girls' school to help those in the East End be educated, and not have to sell themselves when money is tight. It's an admirable pursuit, one Thomas fully agrees with, but he's got another Duke on his back, forcing him to agree with what he says, or else Thomas' sister will lose the man she loves, and the truth about the Orchid Club will be revealed. Can Thomas do what he knows is right, or will he be forced to be a different person?
My 7th Eva Leigh book, and I love it as much as I did my first. All of her characters, her plot lines, and her world building are perfect, and I beg you to read her books if you haven't already! This time, with Thomas and Lucia, I knew I would love their relationship, but I was still blown away. We first meet Amina and the Orchid Club in Temptations of a Wallflower, and in the rest of The London Underground series, the attraction between Thomas and Lucia is wholly apparent. Lucia has never taken part in the displays going on in the club, and as Amina she needs to remain aloof, and above it all. However, since meeting Thomas, she's always wished she hadn't made that promise, and when he announces that this will be his final night at the club, she'd be stupid not to agree to it. From then on, both are lost, and I loved the somewhat domestic aspects of their life we saw, especially as Thomas decamped to the club was a few days and helped as if he was just a member of staff. We saw a completely different side to him, and it was just perfect. This book, with all of it's twists and turns, to it's final climax, was outstanding, and it may be my favourite of Eva's of all the ones I've read. Now I'm up to date on her back catalogue, I'm looking forward to Waiting for a Scot Like You when it's released in April!
My 7th Eva Leigh book, and I love it as much as I did my first. All of her characters, her plot lines, and her world building are perfect, and I beg you to read her books if you haven't already! This time, with Thomas and Lucia, I knew I would love their relationship, but I was still blown away. We first meet Amina and the Orchid Club in Temptations of a Wallflower, and in the rest of The London Underground series, the attraction between Thomas and Lucia is wholly apparent. Lucia has never taken part in the displays going on in the club, and as Amina she needs to remain aloof, and above it all. However, since meeting Thomas, she's always wished she hadn't made that promise, and when he announces that this will be his final night at the club, she'd be stupid not to agree to it. From then on, both are lost, and I loved the somewhat domestic aspects of their life we saw, especially as Thomas decamped to the club was a few days and helped as if he was just a member of staff. We saw a completely different side to him, and it was just perfect. This book, with all of it's twists and turns, to it's final climax, was outstanding, and it may be my favourite of Eva's of all the ones I've read. Now I'm up to date on her back catalogue, I'm looking forward to Waiting for a Scot Like You when it's released in April!