Duchess If You Dare by Anabelle Bryant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Historical Fiction, Regency Romance
“When the four ladies had banded together with a vow to right wrongs in London and fight for women who had no voice against male harassment or otherwise unjust travesties thrust upon their gender, they’d labelled themselves the Maidens of Mayhem. Perhaps it was a fanciful thought at first, but their intention was soon realized. London had more nefarious secrets than anyone imagined.”
Scarlett is a member of the Maidens of Mayhem, a group of women who fight to protect other women in a society ruled by men. When her seamstress suddenly goes missing, she knows that foul play must be involved. While investigating, the clues bring her to an upscale brothel, aimed at the wealthier men of status. Inside Scarlett discovers that several of the girls have gone missing recently.
“Prostitution was a transient business. Girls aged out quickly. Some entered and left as needed, at times disappearing for long stretches until necessity forced them back into service. Other times the girls vanished forever and it was that aspect that concerned Scarlett most of all. She knew firsthand a level of brutality accompanied the risk of employment.”
Ambrose, Duke of Aylesford, is investigating the very same brothel, a mess his impetuous younger brother got him mixed up in. Martin’s “girl” Daisy has gone missing and he has begged his brother to look into her disappearance.
Scarlett and Ambrose’s paths cross, they discover that they are both investigating the same disappearances and come to the conclusion that they need to work together in order to solve this mystery.
Scarlett and Ambrose come from totally opposite backgrounds and live very different lifestyles, they have nothing in common, but the chemistry between them is unavoidable.
I enjoyed this entertaining mystery romance. It was a short and quick read, perfect when you need a pallet cleanser after a long or intense book. You get pulled right into the story with ease and the plot keeps you engaged throughout. It is your standard regency type romance story, girl from the slums meets nobleman, they both know a relationship is impossible yet they cannot help but fall in love. The added mystery of the missing prostitutes kept it very intriguing and not just about the romance, which is a must for me.
I liked both main characters, there was good character development which is commonly missing in short romance novels. I would usually find myself becoming frustrated with the female lead however this was not the case with Scarlett. As the first book in the series, there was room left to learn more about her past and background which I hope will be revealed in upcoming books. Ambrose is pretty much everything you want in a man, strong, kind, stubborn, handsome, understanding, empathetic, jealous (the good kind) and honorable.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway and I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.
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