ARC REVIEW Not the Duke's Darling by Elizabeth Hoyt

Greycourt #1, The first of a new series and what a start, wow. From the first chapter to the very end this book grabs your attention and doesn't let go. The characters are impossible to resist with an intriguing story that all started in the past with a horrible event that changed the lives of three families.

Freya de Moray's life turned upside down because the events of "The Tragedy" it isn't revealed right away what happened that night but afterwards Freya and her two sisters moved in with an aunt and when they became of age they joined an age old group of forward thinking women called, The Wise Women. For the last five years Freya has been working as a chaperone for a well of family with good connections under the name Miss. Stewart. Her job is a cover, her true purpose for serving the Wise Women as a chaperone is that of a spy, she keeps her eyes and ear open. The Wise Women for the most part lead a peaceful existence they help other women when needed but they have an enemy a misogynistic group of men who think the Wise Women are witches and it is their sole purpose to seek out and kill Wise Women. Freya learns of a new act going in front of Parliament that will legalize and encourage witch hunting again, Freya has to stop that from happening. The man who's heading up the act, Lord Randolph, has a wife who mysteriously died and if Freya can figure out what happened to the wife she can stop him from presenting at Parliament; her way in is a houseparty at an estate neighboring his.

Christopher Renshaw brought shame to the family name with "The Tragedy" his father forced to marry a woman he didn't know and banished him to India. When Christopher was finally able to move back home he was a widower and newly declared Duke of Harlowe, he inherited from a distant cousin. With only his dog, Tess, as his companion he has spent the last few years isolated from society until someone from his past tries to blackmail him. The exchange is to happen at his brother-in-laws houseparty something he wish he could avoid but to protect his late wife's reputation he will do it.

So much happens in this book, the pacing is pretty much non-stop. Between the relationship of Christopher and Freya, Freya and her childhood friend, who showed up at the houseparty too, all of them trying to reconcile what happened fifteen years ago and if they can forgive and move on or remain bitter, the matter of Lord Randolph and his wife, and Christopher's blackmailer. It seems like a lot but it's so easy to follow. The relationship of Christopher and Freya starts of rocky, considering Freya outright hates him for his part in "The Tragedy". Christopher embraces his feelings for Freya quickly, he loves her for who she is, what she does, what she says, and how strong both emotionally and physically she is but that's also a problem he wants to be there for her even if she doesn't need him; he wants her to need him. (Brings to mind Cheap Trick's song I Want You to Want Me) 

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. Elizabeth Hoyt is a wonderful author and I love the direction she going with this series I can't wait for more.    

ARC REVIEW Once Upon A Christmas Eve by Elizabeth Hoyt

So this is the last of the Maiden Lane series, if I had known that before reading this I probably would have been a lot more disappointed with it than I am. I was kind of hoping that she was going to just keep writing and find a new story arc to follow. I am split on this, on one hand you have great Hoyt writing with witty dialogue and wonderful characters; on the other hand you have a really short romance that makes you feel cheated that these great characters didn't get more. With how strong the animosity Sarah has toward d'Arque you would think it would take longer for her to admit to herself that he's different. d'Arque is a shameless flirt and sometimes his humor is a bit crude, but it's so funny. They met once before (back in book 5) but it didn't matter Sarah had already made up her mind to hate him because he was a rake. To d'Arque Sarah was different because she didn't fall for his charm like every other woman out there, it was obvious she hated him but he gave her no reason to.

Fast forward some time it's Christmastime and d'Arque is taking his grandmother to her cousin house for the holiday when the carriage breaks down and they must seek refuge at a local house. Fortuitously d'Arque is acquainted with St. James unfortunately his grandmother's health isn't good to travel the rest of the way and they must stay where they are and celebrate Christmas with the St. James'. d'Arque sees this as an opportunity to change Sarah's opinion of him because no matter what he feels a strong attraction to her. Sarah had a bad experience with a rake in her past that has made her hate all rakes, but the more she talks to d'Arque the more she realizes there is so much more to him the just a rake, it's making her all confused her physical attraction to him and now she finds herself actually liking him. But Sarah is looking for a husband and d'Arque doesn't think he wants to get married, ever.

Overall, I did like the story and the characters but it felt so short and rushed, and it doesn't feel like it's the conclusion to a series.       

ARC REVIEW Once Upon A Maiden Lane by Elizabeth Hoyt

Once Upon A Maiden Lane is a novella about one of the orphans at the Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundling Children, Mary Whitsun. Mary has gone on to be the nurse maid for the children of Lord and Lady Claire. Lady Claire who has known her since she was a baby took her in and gave her a job when she married. Mary is an intelligent girl who knows better than to let a charming smile sway her she is content with her life. But one day at the bookstore a charming man mistakes her for someone else.

Henry Collins, Viscount Blackwell, is shocked to find his fiancee in the bookstore even more peculiar is that it doesn't seem to be his fiancee at all, this feisty young lady just could be the long lost Albright daughter and his proper fiancee. Henry always thought that the deal his father made with his friend to marry off their two eldest was a bad idea, particularly because he has nothing but brotherly feelings for Lady Joanna, but this Mary who just might be Lady Cecilia is exactly what he wants in a wife. But the long lost, thought dead, reappearance of Lady Cecilia not only causes a stir in society but someone doesn't want her back.

Overall, it was a nice and quick read, but compared to some of the other books in the series it feels a little lack luster. It was a nice length, and I loved that characters but by the time I got to the ending I felt, really that's it? I enjoyed the other books I've read in the series, this one while enjoyable fell short. 

ARC REVIEW Duke of Desire by Elizabeth Hoyt

The Duke of Desire is book 12 of Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series. In the last book Lady Iris Jordan is kidnapped by the Lords of Chaos because they think she married Duke of Kyle. They plan on a full night of debauchery and then return her to the Duke dead. Unfortunately their information is wrong and Iris is not the Duke of Kyle's new Duchess. One of the revelers takes her for himself. Unknowing to Iris it's a rescue and she shoots The Duke of Dyemore in the shoulder. Raphael knows the only way to save Iris is to marry her so before he passes out from blood loss the local vicar marries them as soon as they reach his house. Raphael thinks he is just as damaged as the rest of the Lords of Chaos, only difference is he wants to tear down the Lords of Chaos and destroy them forever, he just has to figure out who took over as Dionysus.  Raphael had no plans to marry ever and even though he has admired Iris from afar for months he can not let himself fall in love with her not with what he has to do.

Iris told herself she would make best of this situation and be the Duchess of Dyemore. Raphael isn't making it any easier she promised herself that after her first marriage of she got married again it would be for love and seeing that not the case here she would atleast want children of her own finally only Raphael does not want to consummate the marriage. The more Iris finds out about Raphael the more she falls in love with him especially after she finds out how he received the hideous scar on his face. Finding out who Dionysus is isn't easy especially since he keeps getting distracted with Iris.

Overall, he should have been the Duke of Dire. Raphael had desire, there were some really good scenes and I enjoyed where she went with the Lords of Chaos but Raphael was just so depressing. What he kept doing to Iris was sad, it really made me wonder why are falling in love with him. He had a traumatic event in his childhood and he never let go of that and I get that, but having something that severe and perverse happen to the main character, I am okay with a whole lot of stuff authors put their characters through but that one touches really close to uncomfortable for me.       

LAUNCH DAY BLITZ Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt

DUKE OF PLEASURE by Elizabeth Hoyt

 (November 29, 2016; Grand Central Publishing Mass Market; The Maiden Lane Series #11)

IN THE ARMS OF DANGER

Bold. Brave. Brutally handsome. Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle, is the king's secret weapon. Sent to defeat the notorious Lords of Chaos, he is ambushed in a London alley-and rescued by an unlikely ally: a masked stranger with the unmistakable curves of a woman.

IN THE HEAT OF DESIRE

Cocky. Clever. Courageously independent. Alf has survived on the perilous streets of St. Giles by disguising her sex. By day she is a boy, dealing in information and secrets. By night she's the notorious Ghost of St. Giles, a masked vigilante. But as she saves Hugh from assassins, she finds herself succumbing to temptation . . .

ONE KISS WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER

When Hugh hires Alf to investigate the Lords of Chaos, her worlds collide. Once Hugh realizes that the boy and the Ghost are the same, will Alf find the courage to become the woman she needs to be-before the Lords of Chaos destroy them both?

Buy the Book!

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I wholeheartedly agree with the above RT Book Review. I so enjoyed reading this book. Alf has to be one of my favorite heroines. She's quick witted, fearless, strong, and just all around amazing. Hugh, Duke of Kyle, is equally as impressive. He may think he wants one thing but because of a bad call when he was younger he has begun to doubt his own choices. As the acknowledged bastard of the King, Hugh was given the title of Duke of Kyle and has been given the job of tracking down and eliminating the Lords of Chaos. Shortly after making inquiries he was attacked by a bloodthirsty gang in St. Giles, outnumbered Kyle thought he was a goner until he was saved by the Ghost of St. Giles then kissed by the Ghost. 

It was revealed earlier on in the series that Alf was really a woman who survived living in St. Giles by disguising herself as a boy. Kyle has hired Alf to find out who and why someone tried to kill him. But Alf comes back to his house badly beaten and Kyle feels responsible for the boy. Kyle continues to fantasize about the mysterious woman who is the Ghost of St. Giles. Kyle and Alf work together to reveal the mystery behind the Lords of Chaos. Alf is not afraid to face anything but when asked to do one thing she has never done to help figure out the men behind the Lords her love for Kyle is the one thing that has her face the only thing she has been scared of being a woman. 

Overall, I really enjoyed it. Only reading the last two stories ( Duke of Sin and Once upon a Moonlit Night) it's okay to read as a standalone really the only one you should read before hand is Duke of Sin but it is not required. The romance between Kyle and Alf is wonderfully done and the two young boys in the story, Kyle's sons, are absolutely adorable.     

About the Author:

Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane series. Publishers Weekly has called her writing "mesmerizing." She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.

Social Media Links:

www.ElizabethHoyt.com

www.twitter.com/elizabethhoyt

www.facebook.com/ElizabethHoytBooks

Add Duke of Pleasure to your shelf on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2cPHOG4

 

************SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT*****************

WICKED INTENTIONS is now FREE for a limited time!

The ebook edition of WICKED INTENTIONS, the first book in Elizabeth Hoyt’s bestselling Maiden Lane series will be FREE from November 28 through December 12!  This is a great opportunity to introduce friends to the series! On December 13 the price returns to $5.99.

Buy the Book!

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ARC REVIEW Once Upon a Moonlit Night by Elizabeth Hoyt

This novella takes place right after, almost parallel with Duke of Sin. Hippolyta Royle we meet as the woman Duke of Montgomery was blackmailing into marriage but help to escape by the woman he later married. We last saw Hippolyta running for her life away from the Duke and his men she ran until she came across a carriage and begged for a ride. Matthew Mortimer doesn't believe her, but he's been out of the country and isn't up on the latest gossip or the who's who of the ton. Matthew was just going to leave her at the next inn but after an incident he decides to take her all the way to London. The attraction is there even when Hippolyta is covered in mud and grime and just when they let the attraction get the best of them they run into Hippolyta's father and Matthew is forced to announce their engagement. But Hippolyta is facing a new threat of blackmail that's keeping her from Matthew and her HEA.

Overall, it really is a nice novella it felt that it was a good length, nicely paced none of the parts felt overly slow or rushed. The characters are all likeable and the story a nice concussion for Hippolyta for those of us were left wondering what heck happened to her.  

ARC REVIEW Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

Book ten of the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt. Boy did I pick a doozie of a book to start the series on. I don't know whether to hate Val or not, he is a right bastard. Even not having read previous book it is obvious that he was a villain in some of them, and if that wasn't enough he still is a right bastard in his own story. As much as he tries to convince Bridget that he is evil he still does stuff that proves otherwise. He's evil alright, just not entirely horrible. Bridget, I loved her, she's a child that should have been raised like that of a high born but she was born on the other side of the sheets so she trained to be a house keeper. When her mother asks her a favor Bridget, who is desperate for her mother's affection does as she asks and when she finds out she can help other people while doing it she doesn't see anything wrong with helping them even if it means having to work for the villainous Duke of Montgomery.

The proper housekeeper, Bridget Crumb, has something that Valentine Napier finds fascinating. The fact that she hasn't told him her name and makes one up for her, and that she isn't scared of him like some other people are. Bridget finds out as manipulative and mean Val can be to other people he goes out of his way to ensure the safety and well being of his staff. Val is dead set on getting a well off wife and blackmail the right people so he can come back from exile. Bridget knows his plans and does everything she can to sabotage his efforts. I halfway thing Val did half of this crap just to see what Bridget would do about it. Bridget sees both sides of Val and she really wants to understand why he does it. But as Val reveals his past Bridget's past comes out as well. I wasn't to impressed with the romantic entanglement between the two it just kind of fades in the light of Val being a prick.

Overall, I still don't know if I liked Val or not. I liked the story the interactions between Val and Bridget are amusing as he keeps doing this just to push her buttons. The whole series has piqued my interest enough I really do want to keep reading them and go back and read the 2-9 books.  

  

#TBT RC REVIEW Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

This weeks Throw Back Thursday is Elizabeth Hoyt's book Wicked Intentions. First Published in 2010 as the first book in her Maiden Lane series. In honor of the release of Duke of Sin book ten in the series Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley offered Wicked Intentions up for review. I had just finished reading Duke of Sin and never having read any of the previous series I though it wouldn't hurt. WOW! I can see why this series has lasted as long as it has if this was the first book. This book was nothing what I expected. I loved Lord Caire and Temperance Dews was unexpected. The whole cast of characters was intriguing and when reading about them it teased me and now I want to know more.

Temperance Dews runs a foundling house with her brother, they take in orphan or abandoned children until an age where they can be apprenticed out. It was started by their father and are now struggling to keep it open after the death of their patron. Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is looking for a killer. Two months ago some one brutally murdered his mistress, he is determined to find out who did it. Lord Caire however needs someone to help him find the right kind of people to talk to in St. Giles; Caire for some reason thinks Mrs. Dews is the right person for the job. He even pays her back rent and enough monies to feed and clothe the children until he has tracked down the killer. He has also promised to help Mrs. Dews find a new patron for her foundling house by introducing her to the right people.

Lord Caire is drawn to Mrs. Dews he can see the passion she hides behind her plain and starchy facade. Caire means to draw out that passion any means necessary but first they must find a killer. Mrs. Dews wants to hate Caire but the sexual attraction is almost to much for her to handle. That lust is only sin deep and the more time they spend together and learn about each other they truly come to care for each other.

Mrs. Dews leads Caire around St. Giles but in their search they attract the attention of the killer and soon find them selves the target. The killer seems to know where they will be, but they have an unlikely ally in the Ghost of St. Giles. A harlequin dressed masked vigilante who is thought of as a ghost who haunts St. Giles to seek vengeance against his death.

Overall this was a great book, I think it's safe to say the rest of the series has ended up on my want to read list.