Series: Gentleman Courtesans, #3
Traits & Tropes: damaged hero with a gambling problem; shy, misfit heroine
Publication Date: 04.17.20
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, England
Rating: 4/5
As the third son of an earl, the Honourable Mr. Dominick Burke has lived a life of luxury, up until his father, frustrated with his lavish spending habits, cut him off. Now to rebuild funds lost to his penchant for gambling, Nick earns his money as a courtesan, work he thoroughly enjoys. His desire for his latest keeper is immediate. Unfortunately for him, Miss Calliope Barrington only wishes for him to publicly court her in an attempt to catalyze her preferred suitor into proposing.
Dominick is more than up to the task, but the more time he spends with Calliope, the more he begins to develop real feelings for her. At the same time, Calliope's true intended groom begins to take notice of her as a marriage prospect and Dominick must gird himself for real competition. But Dominick's scandalous past threatens his present and future happiness and to win Calliope for good, he'll have to create an even greater scandal.
I really enjoyed this book and loved Dominick as a hero. His past does make him a hard sell, but he did so much growing and maturing over the course of this book and that was lovely to see. I really enjoyed the fact that Calliope was not the typical English rose and had to cope with issues most don't face. However, her behavior is the reason this is only 4 and not 5 stars for me. [This could get a bit spoilerish]. Her unwillingness to just listen to her heart and fight for what she wanted and knew would make her happy, all for the sake of pleasing others who she obviously knows care nothing for her, was problematic for me. She created many of the obstacles standing between her and Dominick in her own mind and would've been happy to condemn them both to misery if he hadn't stepped up, yet again. I would've liked to see more commitment and risk taking from Calliope rather than even more hurt for Dominick who has always had to struggle with feeling like an unwanted afterthought. Nonetheless, I still did very much enjoy this book and look forward to David's and Benedict's stories.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3269278758
Dominick is more than up to the task, but the more time he spends with Calliope, the more he begins to develop real feelings for her. At the same time, Calliope's true intended groom begins to take notice of her as a marriage prospect and Dominick must gird himself for real competition. But Dominick's scandalous past threatens his present and future happiness and to win Calliope for good, he'll have to create an even greater scandal.
I really enjoyed this book and loved Dominick as a hero. His past does make him a hard sell, but he did so much growing and maturing over the course of this book and that was lovely to see. I really enjoyed the fact that Calliope was not the typical English rose and had to cope with issues most don't face. However, her behavior is the reason this is only 4 and not 5 stars for me. [This could get a bit spoilerish]. Her unwillingness to just listen to her heart and fight for what she wanted and knew would make her happy, all for the sake of pleasing others who she obviously knows care nothing for her, was problematic for me. She created many of the obstacles standing between her and Dominick in her own mind and would've been happy to condemn them both to misery if he hadn't stepped up, yet again. I would've liked to see more commitment and risk taking from Calliope rather than even more hurt for Dominick who has always had to struggle with feeling like an unwanted afterthought. Nonetheless, I still did very much enjoy this book and look forward to David's and Benedict's stories.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3269278758
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