Juliet's Touch

Rakes, Rogues, & Scoundrels #3

by Nicki Pascarella

She dreamed of a lord… but fate sent her a hero.

A lady promised to a lord.
A pugilist with a secret identity.
A love neither of them is allowed to want.

Juliet Coldpepper has spent her life preparing to marry an aristocrat, until one night in a London alley changes everything. Not only does the mysterious Knight Roamer rescue her from danger, but he also treats her with a sincere respect that no society gentleman has ever shown her. And then he kisses her.

Eric Stone has bruised knuckles and a battered soul. A champion in the ring and a masked avenger in the streets, he defends the vulnerable because no one protected his mother. Justice is his purpose. Solitude is his penance. Until the one woman he should avoid, the innocent and kind Juliet, sees past his scars to the man he hides from the world.

Forced to spend time at Chesterhill Manor, their desire sparks into something fierce and forbidden. As Juliet’s illusion of high society crumbles, she discovers that honor can wear rough hands and that evil often hides behind charm, titles, and wealth. Meanwhile, as Eric falls for the beauty, he must confront hard truths about himself and his newly discovered aristocratic father.

Lies will be exposed. Masks will fall. And two souls from opposite worlds will discover the one thing worth fighting for—each other.

This is a steamy romance that includes the death of a parent, the murder of the villain, and adult themes.

Genres: Historical Romance

346 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 5, 2026

About the author

Nicki Pascarella writes Contemporary and Historical romances. She enjoys mixing genres—adding mysteries to steamy small-town romances, or a pinch of paranormal fantasy to her romantic comedies. It’s all about making her readers laugh and fall in love.

Using her twenty-nine years of experience as a high school teacher and her background in creative writing and journalism, she coaches authors for The MediaCasters. Helping artists break through creative blocks is one of her passions.

When she isn't writing and editing, she reads, runs, and hangs with her husband, daughter, and Shetland sheepdogs. Nicki is also an award-winning belly dancer.

Reviews

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 (a few later in the book are a touch shorter)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit!
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, chapter 2 of 33, about 6% in (a brief encounter) then another brief encounter at 16%, chapter 5. (they really aren’t on page regularly until about 26% in or so)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, two epilogues. The first is a week later for the main couple of the book. The next is the same timeline but from a former villain’s POV
Format: I was given an ARC (advanced reader copy) of the novel but didn’t get to it in time and ended up buying the e-book and that is the version I read
Why I chose this book: I love Pascarella and want to read all her books. This was initially on my radar because Nicki had it as an ARC opportunity
Mains: Eric Stone and Juliet Coldpepper – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)

”A masked man is running round London. Some say he is an avenger, doling out justice. Others think he is a criminal who has started to target the aristocracy. I believe he is quite heroic. And he is a marvelous kisser.”

Should I read in order?
I think it’s probably best?? Because you will get the full story of Chesterhill searching for his illegitimate children and the character depth of the cast. And all the prior characters make an appearance.

Basic plot:
After an attempted robbery, Juliet knows she must break her engagement to her cowardly fiance. And now she can’t get the masked man who saved her out of her mind...

Give this a try if you want:
- historical romance – Regency – 1819
- class difference – she’s the daughter of a baron, he’s the son of a prostitute
- night time masked vigilante hero
- pugilist hero
- celibate and low experience hero – he’s only been with one woman a few times and it’s been 2 years
- secret identity
- naughty book reading
- charades
- opposites attract – some sunshine and….quiet vibes. I wouldn’t call him grumpy necessarily. But definitely a light and dark element
- higher steam – 5ish full scenes but a bit of a slower burn feel

Ages:
- hero is 27, didn’t catch heroine but would think early 20s?

First line:
Eric Stone snuggled against his mother as he fingered her silky black strands.

My thoughts:
omgggggg this book is so freaking cute. SO CUTE! Nicki hit it out of the park with this one for me. This was exactly what I wanted to read and everything I needed.

A masked hero? In a historical setting? I am here for that!!!! But underneath the mask, Eric is quiet with a strong sense of justice and so protective of everyone in his circle. He’s the SWEETEST. And I love him.

I have so missed courting and wooing and flirting in my romance books. You would think it’s standard right??? But it’s really not and I miss it terribly. When these two both end up staying at a mutual relative’s house, it was perfection. The uncertainty of feeling out someone new – catching them staring at you. Walks outside getting to know each other. Charades and drooling over biceps. Watching his arse as he climbs a ladder to put a book away….filled me with all the butterflies. I found myself smiling like a fool through so many parts of this book! I was highlighting so many quotes I adored (some featured below). Juliet is so sweet and fun and deserves the world. Her and Eric are just perfect for each other.

This has become my favorite book by Pascarella. I adored it so much.

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 9
Average rating from me: 4.67 stars
Favorite book: This one!

Endearments
He calls her ‘sunshine’.

Quotes any typos are my own! I am bad with typos, I apologize


Riley leaned into her shoulder and whispered in her ear. She went stone still.
Prickles rose up Eric’s spine. If Riley had threatened her, he would flay his flesh from his bones. Slowly. Tortuously. He’d lower the degenerate into a boiling cauldron, enjoying the man’s screams. Then, right before Riley took his last breath – still alive, but barely – ensuring he felt every inch of pain, Eric would start carving. Slicing. Sawing…
A man with his hands shoved into the pockets of a threadbare coat barreled toward the trio, interrupting Eric’s demented fantasy.
---
“Bloody hell, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Alexander said. “They are winning because you are giving them things that a child on leading strings can act out. ‘Emily, act like a cute kitten. Alexander, act out William Shakespeare eating a pork pie while being chased by a vampire with purple hair.’”
---
He removed his tailcoat, which only served to draw attention to his well-formed thighs – that is, until Juliet was distracted by the biceps straining against his too-tight sleeves. Good lord, how much more could she take before she melted all over the drawing room?
---
“By the by, Juliet was recently saved by a knight in shining armor, so we are quite taken with warriors at the moment,” her sister had said.
A cannon aimed at his chest would not make him leave this house if there was the slightest chance that Juliet was taken with him.
---
After finding out that she might be “taken with warriors,” he had swaggered about more than a humble man should. He’d even caught her sister’s reaction to him crawling about on the floor. She had pretended to fan a pretend flame, which he assumed meant she was titillated by his prowling like a sure-footed beast.
---
Juliet had been in the same tub as him. Naked. Water beading in her lashes and hair and dripping from her nipples. Her buttocks touching the same tiles his arse had just touched. Unable to stop himself, Eric slid his gaze to the beauty across from him. Her cheeks flushed scarlet as she stared at the remnants of food on her plate.
---
“Mayhap next time we should be on the same team,” she said.
A grown man did not leap about like an excited child, no matter how much he wanted to. “Mayhap,” he said, shrugging nonchalantly.
---
She’d been caught spying. She averted her gaze to stare into her teacup. He must still be watching her because the heat from his perusal burned her entire being with a scorching intensity. Nibbling on her lip, she looked up.
His lids hung low over the piercing irises. She’d grown accustomed to his injured eye, no longer feeling the need to wince or look away. However black and blue half circles now underlined his eyes.
Their inhalations and exhalations synced as if they breathed the same mouthful of air. Her heartbeat picked up, and her mouth became dry. As she sipped the last of her tea, his Adam’s apple slid with her swallow, as if he was the one who’d taken the sip. Still desperate for moisture, she licked her lips.
Eric’s gaze followed her tongue, and if she wasn’t mistaken, his breath hitched.
Her heart swooped low as if she were falling.
This was ridiculous. Her behavior was entirely inappropriate. Juliet broke from their sizzling communication to focus on Alexander, who droned on and on about something or other that had to do with long-lasting blooms.
“Blah, blah, blah,” Alexander said as Emily nodded in agreement.
---
“I’m sorry I scared you. I thought you heard me enter.”
She hadn’t heard a thing. Most likely because she’d been preoccupied with lewd pictures and her feminine longing. She looked down and cringed. The notorious book was title face up.
They simultaneously squatted, his hand landing on the book before she could grab it. He picked it up and flipped it open. This time, the image displayed was of a man with his mouth on a woman’s bare cunny.
Mr. Stone’s eyes widened.
Juliet’s cheeks caught fire.
He slammed the book closed, then stood.
---
His expression unreadable, he tucked the book beneath his arm and strolled to the ladder. Juliet couldn’t help but watch his buttocks cheeks flex as he climbed.
He was three quarters of the way up the ladder, when he looked over his shoulder to peer down at her.
She pretended to be looking at the ceiling.
---
He stepped so close that only a few inches of space remained between them. Heat from his large body enveloped her as his gaze slid to her lips. “I think you are perfect.”
Still focused on her mouth, he lowered his head until their noses were only a few inches apart. Good lord, he was going to kiss her.
She had to stop this madness because she couldn’t go around kissing men willy-nilly – even the ones who saved her.
She meant to step away, but her legs froze, and her lips involuntarily puckered.
On second thought, he had kept her from splatting on the floor. And he didn’t seem to care that she’d kissed a stranger. Besides, what harm was one little kiss after she’d almost died? She tilted her head back and lifted onto her toes as invisible butterflies tickled her insides.
His raw groan blew across her cheek. And then, his lips touched hers.
---
He retrieved another towel and carried it to her. Extending his hand, he assisted her out of the tub. His eyes hooded, he gently dried the droplets from her skin with indulgent rubs that made her tremble.
On second thought, she couldn’t let this glorious experience end. “Maybe if we are quick about it,” she suggested.
He growled. “There will be nothing quick about what I intend to do to you.”
---
“Sit,” he demanded.
Without hesitation, she dropped her bare bum onto the chair. Her body heating, she watched as she sat on the edge of the bed and removed his boots. He wiggled his long toes in the carpeting as she gawked as if she’d never seen anything quite so fascinating. Although perhaps, in her sheltered life, she hadn’t.
Standing he shucked his layers until his powerful physique stood before her in just his shirt and trousers. He held her gaze as he slowly undid each button. Sliding out of the linen, he swirled it over his head, then tossed it aside.
A ray of moonlight caught in the dips and swells of his pectorals, which she was certain he was purposefully flexing. Goodness. He was also contracting his biceps. Her gaze landed on his fascinating sculpted forearms, and she swallowed hard. If he was putting on a show for her, it deserved an enthusiastic ovation. In lieu of clapping, she smiled and fluttered her eyelashes.
Her shy, sweet Eric seemed to have been replaced by the more confident Knight Roamer, because he stalked toward her, a predatory gleam in his eyes.
He dropped to his knees again, and they stared into each other’s eyes. The air between them seemed to crackle with invisible lightning bolts.
---
“Placing a hand on each of her thighs, he spread them wide. “Relax, Sunshine,” he commanded.
She was trying to, but how did one relax when a man was licking his lips as he stared at her cunny?



Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- strangulation of the hero’s mother in the prologue (she worked in a brothel)
- attempted rape of side character – hero rescues a maid from this fate
- the hero is a bastard – his father has hired a side character (Hugh Fletcher who has his own story in Charlotte’s Kisses) to find his children so he can apologize for abandoning them
- heroine is engaged to a violent and controlling man who’s cheating on her
- the hero’s real father is trying to find his bastard children and provide for them – so talk of him bedding dozens of women and trying to find his offspring are a theme
- villain of the story kidnaps the heroine and threatens her with a knife – he then ties her up and assaults her with various objects, threatens her with a knife before the hero comes in and beats him
- death via gunshot on page


Author content warnings? Didn’t catch any (I always encourage you to check author’s websites, since Amazon penalizes authors for certain content warning words in their novels)


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:

Safe sex: he pulls out
How’s the consent? It’s pretty explicit – he asks a lot and before most acts so if you want consent in your romance I think this is definitely one to grab
Pregnancy/children in story? pregnancy possibility at the end of the book
Chapter 5 – brief kiss – he’s masked and just rescued her from assailants
Chapter 8 – start of a heroine self pleasure in the bath but it’s interrupted
Chapter 12 – kiss in the library
Chapter 15 – 🔥 kisses, fingering for her in the library on the desk
Chapter 16 – start of fingering for her in the bath but he stops it
Chapter 22 – 🔥 kiss at the brothel that eventually leads to oral for her, missionary
Chapter 31 – 🔥 bj in a carriage (complete)
Chapter 32 – 🔥 oral for her
1st epilogue - 🔥 her on top (it’s on the shorter side) followed shortly after by a missionary scene where he is masked
Total chapters: 32 and an epilogue


Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs


Full break down on what my ratings above mean here:
Overall: How I felt about it everything considered!
Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.)
Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?)
Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story?
Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch.
Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective.
Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgment (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions
Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (5) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio!
Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)


Find me
Instagram || The Storygraph || Bookbub ||

Book Clubs
The Ton and the Tartans (Historical Romance)
Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats (Historical Romance with Steam Requirements)
A Love Less Ordinary (Science Fiction, Paranormal, Monster, Fantasy)
Modern Manuscripts (Contemporary Romance)
Words for the Wicked (Contemporary Romance with Steam Requirements)
Vintage Romance (Old School Romance – published 2000 and prior)

[Imromanticallyinvolved · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something so delicious about Nikki's books and I ate this one up! Eric is a hero we all deserve in our lives. He might be all toughness on the outside (literally. He's a pugilist!) but he's really a cinnamon roll at heart, and straight out of the oven HOT! With a truly tragic childhood you would think he'd be bitter down to his soul but we learn real quick that this only fueled his empathy and compassion for others.

Juliet Coldpepper is innocent, biddable and has a heart of gold. She has always been aware of her duty to marry well and had every intention of fulfilling this until a stolen kiss from a masked avenger plants the seeds of doubt.

I loved every moment of this "love triangle" and anticipated their every interaction just as much as they did. Watching Juliet find and fight for herself by unlearning to be ok with less and taking ownership of her worth and path forward was inspiring to see. For someone who has dealt with so much loss and heartbreak, Eric's journey to accepting Juliet's love was so rewarding.

This story was beautifully written with so many magical moments to sigh over and just the right amount of darkness to fully engage me, drawing me into their fight for restitution and a well-deserved HEA. I loved their love story!

Nicki stepped up her steam count in this one which was much appreciated! Explicit, loving and matched the progression and depth of their feelings. 4 scenes plus an epilogue quickie.

I was honored to receive an early copy.
This is my honest review.

[Lady of Regency · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this copy from the brilliant author Nicki. Unfortunately, it took a little longer than I’d hoped before I could finally get round to reading it. I regret that all the more. It’s fantastic, and I’ve missed out on experiencing that feeling sooner.

Who wouldn’t want a hero? Even better if he behaves and looks like Eric. Did you get all warm and fuzzy reading it too? 😂

Juliet has a secret, and so does he. I didn’t expect anything else. Mysterious, lovesick, enigmatic, exciting, thrilling. All rolled into one.

Imagine something is so forbidden that you simply have to have it. You’d break every rule. Being alone together, kissing a stranger, a scene in a bath (together), kidnapping, secrets being revealed, finding a murderer… What a package.


That’s exactly why I’ve given it 5 stars. Dive right in!!

Thanks to the lovely author for this copy.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicki knew exactly what she was doing with this book.. I was hooked from the beginning to the end.. Once I started reading it I just couldn't put it down..

Eric and Juliet are from 2 different backgrounds.. And they definitely meet under the most unusual way to begin with, after all he saves her when he is a masked man except for the fact she doesn't know it..

But their relationship starts out with a lot of secret identities and misunderstanding because he wasn't sure how to tell her who he was to begin once he met her as Eric instead of the masked man.. However Juliet finds that to be just as much of a turn on as him puglist..

These two were simply meant to be together from the beginning with the spark they have..

I enjoyed this book with the mystery, the steam, the previous characters, the banter.. And I definitely can't wait to read the next book from Nicki!!

[Cristina]

Writing style didn’t work for me. At this point, if it doesn’t grab me in the first chapters, the likelihood of getting better rarely happens.

[Nikki (awallflowerreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love a masked man who rescues damsels in distress and is simultaneously trying to free his brothel family from their shitty landlord? Eric Stone is so instantly lovable from the start, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that he is our entry into this story. The first chapter is a flashback to his mother’s brutal death when he was a boy, and immediately, this feels like his story. We meet him again in the future, now balancing his career as a pugilist with his nightly vigilante duties. He’s trying to find his mother’s killer, but in doing so, he ends up saving a damsel in distress.

When Lady Juliet is saved by this masked brown-eyed hunk, TWICE, she’s more than a little mesmerized and swoony. Especially when her jerk of a fiancé uses her as a human shield during one of these encounters. Deciding she can no longer marry him, and fearful her parents will make her, she runs away to her sister Emily. Meanwhile, Eric is on the growing list of Chesterhill by-blows and is invited to meet his aristocratic father in exchange for the funding to free his family at The Pink Petal. When he arrives at the estate, who does he run into but the stunning girl he saved and subsequently kissed? While Juliet might not recognize her masked savior, she starts falling for the shy and sweet pugilist. She’s quite the naive character, especially in the beginning. But watching her grow and mature in this book helped me understand her better as a character. And watching her break through Eric’s carefully crafted barriers was so cute to witness. I love the girl who breaks through and turns the quiet guy into a chatty boy!

This one had me hooked from the start, and I was so invested in these characters, particularly Eric. Nicki knows how to weave an intricate plot while still keeping the romance at the forefront. I couldn’t put this down once I’d started because I NEEDED to know how this story was going to unfold. And what a satisfying and sweet ending for these two cuties. The Hugh cameos were some of my faves, and I enjoyed visiting this world and all its bonkers bits. He’s such a funny character, and often brings a cast of silly goons to join the party. I love that he serves as a through-line of this series.

And you KNOW I loved that second epilogue…no spoilers, but it was such a FUN time!

4.5/5
Thank you to the author for an eARC of this book!

[readmeregency · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there anything better than an MMC who conducts vigilante justice in the dark of night, hidden behind a mysterious mask? Maybe if he was also a pugilist - which Eric is 🥊I really enjoy a Nicki Pascarella read during the holiday season. Amidst all the craziness that this time of year brings, her stories are spicy but sweet, and have a cozy feel that's perfect for curbing my anxiety.

Juliet is beautiful and very at home in society, betrothed but increasingly restless about whether he is the right choice for her future. When she discovers he most definitely is not, she can't help but fall instead for a handsome pugilist guest of her sisters. Or has she fallen for the masked avenger who saved her? ¿Porque lo nos dos?
Eric has some childhood Trauma with a capital T, and can't get the lovely Lady he met on a night time jaunt out of his head. Then she pops up when he isn't expecting it, and he courts her whilst keeping his evening identity secret (what could go wrong).

As much as having Lady Chesterhill to hate is fun, I enjoyed that this story moved on to another villain, and focused on the internal growth of Juliet and Eric. Juliet is figuring out who she wants to be past her society facade, and Eric is working through the trauma of his mother's death. They both fall hard and fast, and it's nice to know that they're on each other's team from the get-go. It's worth a mention also that although I've described their story as sweet, there are some exceptionally spicy scenes that level up their intimacy (including a bathtub!)

[Lyn D Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third book in the Rakes, Rogues, and Scoundrels series was a thrilling historical class difference romance. A troubled pugalist, a young lady with in need of assistance, and returning characters made for an intense and exciting love story. Its drama, mystery, intrigue suspense, misunderstandings, kidnapping, murder with many twists were very captivating. The characters' chemistry led to an intense passion and a strong love. I enjoyed how their story ends after two delightful epilogues. I highly recommend reading!

[KyAnn Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg this is on the keeper shelf

I’m a huge Nicki Pascarella fan and this book is the reason why. It is so good. I don’t give this praise lightly but it was one of the best historical romances I have EVER read. Eric is everything you want in a hero. Heart melting. The depth the author gave him is nothing short of brilliant. I can’t tell you how much I love him. And Juliet was his perfect match. You will want to read this one again and again

[Alexandra G · Rating 5 out of 5]

A runaway bride-to-be & a by-blow vigilante boxer make for a thrilling forbidden romance with a pinch of hidden identity, a nice splash of danger and so much stay-put-so-I-can-save-you-already!

Juliet, a baron’s beautiful and biddable middle daughter, has agreed to marry an earl. But the more she comes to know her intended, the less certain she is. Turns out her once charming suitor is a cold controlling coward.
Born and raised in a brothel, Eric had to bide his time before avenging his mother’s untimely demise. But Whitechapel’s champion kept getting sidetracked by the human scum he encounters, so he donned a mask and did the world a favour.

Kissed once and rescued twice, used a human shield, and then forbidden to visit her sister, Juliet does exactly that: she pack a bag and runs – to Chesterhill.
Bewitched by a kiss, Eric is cornered by a persistent investigator, and learns his true roots. His father wants to make amends, but he must come to Chesterhill.
You’ve guessed it: they meet again! He knows, she doesn’t. Family is found, bonds forged and an irresistible pull blossoms into love – and then her vile fiancé threatens her masked hero...

What can you expect? Snow, charades, a library ladder, strong arms, bubbly baths, a mad dash back to London, an intense reunion, kidnapping, blood, sweat, swollen knuckles and a gruesome reckoning.
Eric is a virtual virgin and oh so protective of his ladies. He’s one big brawny taciturn merciless avenger, yet so sweet & tender, and those forearms... 🤤🫠
Juliet is done being a good girl. It’s her life, her hero and her heart, and somehow she’ll save them all. A perilous but rewarding endeavour; well done Sunshine!
It’s a little bonkers, dark & twisty, highly entertaining and utterly delectable!

[KelseyreadsHR · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the first two and a half books I was curious where the focus would be after centering on the step-mother. With it shifting to the two new MC, I was drawn into Eric’s life and backstory and the unlikely way it intersected with Juliet’s.

I loved the reappearance of the previous MC, giving us a glimpse into their lives but not stealing the show from Eric and Juliet. It also was a great segue into lightly introducing the author’s future series but there also seems to be endless potential for this one.

Eric is a pugilist and grew up in a brothel. He’s recently become a masked avenger as he’s searching out the man responsible for his mother’s demise. He was the perfect mix between being aware of the disappointments in life but not jaded enough to still have hope.

I also couldn’t help but like Juliet. She is somewhat naive and impulsive but she took her future into her own hands when she didn’t like where it was going.

This was such an enjoyable story and loved how all storylines came together. The second epilogue made it extra intriguing and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Juliet’s Touch is the third book in the Rakes, Rogues, and Scoundrels series.

There are six open door encounters.

I received an advance reader copy from the author. All opinions are my own.

[Debbie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masked hero for the win
Juliet is on the cusp of adulthood when she agrees to marry an earl.
Eric is a common born pugilist who still lives in the brothel his mother worked in. He searches for his mother's murderer by night wearing a mask, and along the way champions women and the working class.
The two meet while he is masked--twice--as Juliet finds out that her betrothed is not as nice as he looks.
From there, family connections bring them together with him as Eric, while Juliet wonders how she can be attracted to two different men while engaged to a third.
Only Nicki P can write this kind of story and make it fun, flirty and downright sexy.
Add in the class difference, the hurt-her-and-die vibes and you have a maseterpiece!

[Giovanna Siniscalchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous and heartfelt Historical Romance!!
I adored Juliet’s Touch—a delicious class-difference, secret-identity romance with a pugilist, vigilante hero who absolutely stole my heart. Bruised knuckles, hidden honor, and a man who treats the heroine with respect? Yes, please.

Juliet is sweet, brave, and quietly wonderful, and their relationship is a joy from beginning to end—tender, fierce, and deeply earned. And this is what Nicki does so beautifully: even when her stories walk through darker, grittier corners of life, they always carry goodness at their core. Humanity. Hope. Love that feels right.

Knowing Nicki Pascarella, I know that warmth comes straight from the author herself.

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eric and Juliet!
Eric was such a physically strong man, a fighter and yet on the inside he was as soft as butter, sweet and caring, especially when it came to Juliet.
These two characters came from totally different worlds yet all it took was just one kiss and their ideals changed.
This remarkable story had it all - the good, the bad and the ugly (and the beautiful too)! It was so interesting, so easy to read and enjoy. It had some very funny moments and others which were quite serious too and I loved every single moment of this enjoyable story.

[Bonnie Easton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed . I cried. I rooted for Juliet and Eric from the very beginning. This is my favorite book in this series.

[HC W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well-developed characters. Very romantic.