Series: Hazards of Dukes, #1
Traits & Tropes: disinherited, illegitimate hero
Publication Date: 01.28.20
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, England
Heat Level: 4/5
Rating: 4 stars
Sebastian Dutton, Duke of Hasford, is just settling into his responsibilities since the death of his careless father, only to have his entire world turned upside down. Due to his mother's deception, Sebastian is now just plain Mr. de Silva, illegitimate son of the late duke. He has no idea who he truly is or what to do with his life now he only has his charm to rely on. When his friend takes him to a new gambling house, Miss Ivy's, Sebastian is surprised to be offered a job almost immediately.
Thanks to her reckless father's gambling her future away on a bet, Ivy's reputation is ruined and she's taken control of her own life, opening a gaming club to ensure her security and that of her younger sister. She's known for being competent, efficient, and unflappable, but her reaction to her newest employee throws all of that into question as she struggles to keep their relationship professional. Sebastian faces the same difficulty and soon it becomes clear they're both developing deeper feelings for one another, but with both of them having such different outlooks, love may not be enough.
I enjoyed this book. I liked the idea of a duke having to humble himself and learn to be a regular person, something that you don't see very often. The idea of a lady gambling club owner was also refreshing, even if the how of it never quite made sense to me. I think Ivy was a bit harsh and power-mad at times. Though I understand her fears, especially given her past dealings with her father, she annoyed me a bit at times and came off as rather naive.
From here on you chance what may be considered spoilers.
This book had me all the way up until the end when there was a two month separation between the hero and heroine. The explanation was that Sebastian needed to work on himself some more, but this seemed to come out of left field and left me wondering if I'd missed some pages. I felt it didn't really fit or make much sense since he'd been working on himself all along and I would've liked to see more communication between Sebastian and Ivy before this happened. It just seemed like unnecessary heartache and angst to me, but maybe that's just because separations are one of my pet peeves.
I liked the ending of this one and I think the secondary characters stole the show. I'm looking forward to reading future installments in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to her reckless father's gambling her future away on a bet, Ivy's reputation is ruined and she's taken control of her own life, opening a gaming club to ensure her security and that of her younger sister. She's known for being competent, efficient, and unflappable, but her reaction to her newest employee throws all of that into question as she struggles to keep their relationship professional. Sebastian faces the same difficulty and soon it becomes clear they're both developing deeper feelings for one another, but with both of them having such different outlooks, love may not be enough.
I enjoyed this book. I liked the idea of a duke having to humble himself and learn to be a regular person, something that you don't see very often. The idea of a lady gambling club owner was also refreshing, even if the how of it never quite made sense to me. I think Ivy was a bit harsh and power-mad at times. Though I understand her fears, especially given her past dealings with her father, she annoyed me a bit at times and came off as rather naive.
From here on you chance what may be considered spoilers.
This book had me all the way up until the end when there was a two month separation between the hero and heroine. The explanation was that Sebastian needed to work on himself some more, but this seemed to come out of left field and left me wondering if I'd missed some pages. I felt it didn't really fit or make much sense since he'd been working on himself all along and I would've liked to see more communication between Sebastian and Ivy before this happened. It just seemed like unnecessary heartache and angst to me, but maybe that's just because separations are one of my pet peeves.
I liked the ending of this one and I think the secondary characters stole the show. I'm looking forward to reading future installments in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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