Thursday, January 20, 2022

Review: Between the Devil and the Duke by Kelly Bowen

 

Between the Devil and the Duke (A Season for Scandal #3) by Kelly Bowen
Publication Date: January 31st 2017 by Forever
Pages: 353
Audio Book Length: 11 hrs 4 min
Narrator: Ashford McNab
Source: Publisher & library audio lend
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:
Lady Angelique Archer is trying to keep her family together after the death of her parents. Her brother the heir of the Marquess title is no help spending money they don’t have womanizing, drinking, and gambling, and she needs money to keep her younger brothers in school and food in the cupboards. Being a woman limits the ways Angelique can make money, but there’s one thing she’s good at and that’s numbers. She’s been playing cards at Alexander Lavoie’s club, trying to fly under the radar while winning the money to keep them afloat, but she hasn’t escaped Alex’s notice.

Alex is intrigued by the mystery lady playing and winning at his vingt-et-un table. Her skills and beauty capture his attention even though it’s plain she’s trying to blend in. He approaches Lady Angelique with an offer she doesn’t want to take, but her circumstances make it hard to say no. Especially when her brother lands himself in a heap of trouble.

Alexander and Angelique’s romance was filled with chemistry and deliciously seductive. I loved that even though Angelique is having a hard time, she’s not a complete damsel in distress. She’s a smart and capable woman with courage and ingenuity. However, Angelique desperately needed Alex’s help and he’s there for her in every way. Such a gallant man and a force to be reckoned with!

Between the Devil and the Duke was such a lovely surprise by new-to-me-author, Kelly Bowen! I was delighted by her clever, vibrant writing! If you’re a fan of Lisa Kleypas or Tessa Dare, you’ll love Ms. Bowen writing! I plan on catching up with the rest of the series.

I alternated between traditional reading and listening to the audio version. Ashford McNab’s performance was brilliant! I listened at 1.75x normal speed.

5 Stars


Book Description:

Their love was always in the cards.
He should have thrown her out. But when club owner Alexander Lavoie catches a mysterious blonde counting cards at his vingt-et-un table, he's more intrigued than angry. He has to see more of this beauty—in his club, in his office, in his bed. But first he'll have to devise a proposition she can't turn down.

Gossip said he was an assassin.
Common sense told her to stay away. But Angelique Archer was desperate, and Lavoie's club offered a surefire way to make quick money—until she got caught. Instead of throwing her out though, the devil offers her a deal: come work for him. Refusing him means facing starvation, but with a man so sinfully handsome and fiercely protective, keeping things professional might prove impossible.


14 comments:

  1. Your excitement about this book has me excited. How wonderful to discover a new author you click with.

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  2. A new author to check out. Yay! :D

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  3. I've seen her books about, but never picked one up yet. Since you really enjoyed this one, I'll have to check my library for it.

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  4. I have this book, but haven't read it yet. I need to get it, nice review!

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  5. I don't read much historical romance, unless it's fantasy but I have loved some. Thanks for sharing this one Rachel.

    Anne - Books of My Heart

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  6. That sounds like it would be a good read.

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  7. I have never done a double, reading and listening, I'd like too though

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  8. I don't think that I have ever read this author but this sounds wonderful.

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  10. So glad that you enjoyed this one! I always appreciate when romance authors flesh out female characters beyond their status as love interests, and it sounds like Bowen does so with Angelique here.

    claire @ clairefy

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  11. This sounds like a good read. I don't read too many historicals these days but it still sounds good.

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  12. Since I adore Lisa Kleypas, I for sure want to read this!!!!!

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  13. I've been seeing Bowen mentioned a lot on BookTube lately and several of the BookTubers I follow are really raving about her. Comparing her to Kleypas and Dare is high praise indeed!

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