Duchess If You Dare
A Dazzling Historical Regency Romance
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4.2 • 26 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Fans of Sarah MacLean, Vanessa Riley, and Julia London will adore this modern take on the Regency, filled with tough, empowered women meeting their matches in a sexy story from rising star Anabelle Bryant.
“Delightful.” —Lenora Bell, USA Today bestselling author
From the glittering ballrooms of the ton to the city’s grittiest corners, London has no shortage of wrongs in need of righting—and the Maidens of Mayhem are prepared for the challenge. United by secrecy and sisterhood, these daring woman from all walks of life aim to fight injustice wherever it takes them—even into the arms of unexpected love...
Scarlett Wynn’s tragic childhood taught her that life can be cruel to women with little power. So when a local seamstress disappears, Scarlett vows to find out why. Armed with a weapon and her courage, Scarlett scours London for clues—and crosses the unlikely path of Ambrose Cross, the Duke of Aylesford, at an unlikely place: an upscale brothel. The Duke is trying to solve a mystery of his own, and Scarlett is sure they can help each other—if she can resist the attraction that draws them together . . .
As Duke of Aylesford, Ambrose is duty-bound to protect his family name from scandal no matter the cost. But Scarlett’s fearless spirit forces him to look beyond his world of privilege. Scarlett is as intoxicating as she is dangerous, igniting a fire in him like no other. But when the pair learn both mysteries they’re trying to solve are tied to a string of missing women, the tangled scheme they uncover may put their lives, and their growing love, in mortal danger—and lead them to search their hearts like never before . . .
“A delightful historical romance with a liberal dash of adventure, plenty of sizzling heat, and a heart of pure gold. A superb start to Bryant’s new Maidens of Mayhem series” —Lenora Bell, USA Today bestselling author
“Duchess if You Dare is a fantastic read that kept me up late and has me anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.”—USA Today Bestselling Author Renee Ann Miller
“Brilliant.” —Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A fun premise and rather more fistfights than one expects from a Regency romance animate the otherwise lackluster first Maidens of Mayhem novel from Bryant (the Midnight Secrets series). The Maidens of Mayhem have sworn to protect London's most vulnerable. Among these vigilantes is Scarlett Wynn, who is brilliant, inquisitive, and handy with a dagger. When Linie, Scarlett's seamstress, disappears, Scarlett's investigation leads to the Scarlet Rose, a brothel where Linie had been moonlighting—and she's not the first woman to go missing. Also looking into the disappearances is Ambrose Cross, the straitlaced Duke of Aylesford, who's pulled into the mystery by his wild younger brother. Ambrose and Scarlett's paths cross repeatedly during their investigations and opposites are quick to attract. But with such an extreme difference between their stations, can they make a relationship work? It's a thorny question and the answer is disappointingly hand-waved away in the midst of some third act danger. The final twist is heavily telegraphed from the beginning while Scarlett's backstory comes too little too late. Bryant compensates for these shortcomings with plenty of steamy scenes, but readers excited for action adventure will be disappointed by the poor execution. There's no denying Bryant's created a badass heroine, but even the most devoted readers will hope for more depth from future installments.
Customer Reviews
Meh
Honestly didn’t care for the leads. I expected more from them to crack the mystery but they really didn’t do anything. Instead they moped around and had sex. They didn’t uncover leads or clues. For the heroine to be someone who was fearless and smart, how could she not have suspected the villain? She had suspicions but she didn’t do anything to find out more so I was disappointed.