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Of Valor & Vice
Her life was charmed, until it was not.
Near destitute after the sudden death of her wastrel husband, Lady Pipworth must find a way to support herself and her young nieces until her brother returns home to assume his role as head of the family. Thanks to her three brothers that raised her, Adalia's one outstanding skill in life is gambling, and with a dower house now at her disposal, plans to fill the coffers--scandal begetting or not--begin to take shape.
A mysterious duke with one goal in mind.
The Duke of Dellon is interested in nothing more than fulfilling the needs of running his ducal estate. As for a wife and an heir--he will get to it, eventually--as long as it fits neatly into his orderly life. But when a vow invoked from the grave surfaces, he obligingly sets out to do what is required of him--stop Lady Pipworth from the foolery of operating a gaming house. And, if he should need to, marry the woman.
A vow invoked from the grave leads to a secret that could destroy everything.Her gaming house a success, the last thing Adalia wants is an arrogant duke poking into her affairs. But when a sudden death threatens the very thing she holds dearest, can she possibly trust the one man that can save her and her nieces? This is a new release of an edition originally published by AWD Publishing.
Near destitute after the sudden death of her wastrel husband, Lady Pipworth must find a way to support herself and her young nieces until her brother returns home to assume his role as head of the family. Thanks to her three brothers that raised her, Adalia's one outstanding skill in life is gambling, and with a dower house now at her disposal, plans to fill the coffers--scandal begetting or not--begin to take shape.
A mysterious duke with one goal in mind.
The Duke of Dellon is interested in nothing more than fulfilling the needs of running his ducal estate. As for a wife and an heir--he will get to it, eventually--as long as it fits neatly into his orderly life. But when a vow invoked from the grave surfaces, he obligingly sets out to do what is required of him--stop Lady Pipworth from the foolery of operating a gaming house. And, if he should need to, marry the woman.
A vow invoked from the grave leads to a secret that could destroy everything.Her gaming house a success, the last thing Adalia wants is an arrogant duke poking into her affairs. But when a sudden death threatens the very thing she holds dearest, can she possibly trust the one man that can save her and her nieces? This is a new release of an edition originally published by AWD Publishing.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
January 27, 2021
4. 75 stars!
Once again Jackson knocks it out of the park for me. This story is about Adalia and Toren and I loved every second of it. I only wished it had been a tad longer. I wanted more time with the two of them.
Having lost her husband who she had no love for, Adalia has little in the way of money. At his funeral she is confronted by Toren who offers his help. She refuses and stalks off leaving Toren quite confused.
Adalia's parents and siblings are gone save Theodore who she believes is overseas. Realizing she needs to have an income to continue to provide for her two nieces, she starts a gaming house in her dower house. Surprisingly it does very well and Toren visits her once more asking her to stop the gaming house and tells her Theodore made him vow to take care of her. She again refuses his help until one of her nieces is attacked and she gets a letter from Theodore saying he is dead and she must trust no one but Toren.
So Adalia packs them up and goes to Toren. Toren offers her marriage and safety but never love. Toren claims he is not capable of it and she accepts the deal. Their chemistry is off the charts and the steamy bits are so good. However, Adalia finds herself deeply in love with Toren and when she professes her love, he dismisses her.
Toren believes he is incapable of love due to his childhood but the more time he spends with Adalia, the more possessive he becomes and the more he needs and wants her. While their relationship is moving, so are the people that want Adalia and her nieces captured. Secrets are exposed, trust is tested and Toren and Adalia must navigate this together to come out alive together.
Will Toren learn what it means to love? Can Adalia trust Toren even when secrets come out? What will become of their marriage? Will the bad guys be caught in time?
I loved this story and I was very surprised that Jackson was able to take a cold character like Toren and make him something else in such a short time. And Adalia was such a strong and formidable woman. Overall, a great read.
Once again Jackson knocks it out of the park for me. This story is about Adalia and Toren and I loved every second of it. I only wished it had been a tad longer. I wanted more time with the two of them.
Having lost her husband who she had no love for, Adalia has little in the way of money. At his funeral she is confronted by Toren who offers his help. She refuses and stalks off leaving Toren quite confused.
Adalia's parents and siblings are gone save Theodore who she believes is overseas. Realizing she needs to have an income to continue to provide for her two nieces, she starts a gaming house in her dower house. Surprisingly it does very well and Toren visits her once more asking her to stop the gaming house and tells her Theodore made him vow to take care of her. She again refuses his help until one of her nieces is attacked and she gets a letter from Theodore saying he is dead and she must trust no one but Toren.
So Adalia packs them up and goes to Toren. Toren offers her marriage and safety but never love. Toren claims he is not capable of it and she accepts the deal. Their chemistry is off the charts and the steamy bits are so good. However, Adalia finds herself deeply in love with Toren and when she professes her love, he dismisses her.
Toren believes he is incapable of love due to his childhood but the more time he spends with Adalia, the more possessive he becomes and the more he needs and wants her. While their relationship is moving, so are the people that want Adalia and her nieces captured. Secrets are exposed, trust is tested and Toren and Adalia must navigate this together to come out alive together.
Will Toren learn what it means to love? Can Adalia trust Toren even when secrets come out? What will become of their marriage? Will the bad guys be caught in time?
I loved this story and I was very surprised that Jackson was able to take a cold character like Toren and make him something else in such a short time. And Adalia was such a strong and formidable woman. Overall, a great read.
November 27, 2017
Historical type romances are not my usual "go-to" genre, but I have to say, I was very impressed with this book. I found the writing style to be engaging and look forward to checking out more of this writers work. The story was well executed and the characters were very well portrayed.
January 19, 2022
This is a lovely romance with lots of action and intrigue. Adalia and Toren both have dangerous secrets; will they survive them? The first lovemaking scene was beautiful. The others could easily have been handled without details - and I wish they had been.
November 25, 2021
So this my first K.J Jackson book and it will also be my last. Man I really wanted to like this, I really did but I really didn’t!
The author came up on my amazon recommendations list and she had quite an extensive back catalogue and good reviews, also her plots sounded really interesting.
Unfortunately the writing, for me, just wasn’t good. I take my hat off to anyone that can sit down and write a book because I couldn’t but this felt very amateurish to me.
I never felt like I could picture the scenes all that well – I would have liked a bit more description to really transport me to the places the author was creating. They just seemed vague in my head. Some of my favourite authors paint such a vivid picture, like I could step right into a scene, here I felt like I was filling in a lot of blanks with my own imagination.
The dialogue was pretty clunky and not always in keeping with the time period. Certain turns of phrase just didn’t make sense. There were a few sidewalks and blocks. I know this crops up from American authors but really if you have an editor this is such a small thing to put right!
The story is that Adalia is widowed and in debt so she opens a gaming club to earn a bunch of money. She had three older brothers who taught her how to play cards etc. This all happens off page so there is no mention of how she lures customers in or how she and her friends, who are ladies of the ton, have the business skills to set up a gaming club. Given the attitude towards woman at the time, especially ladies, this was highly unbelievable. It’s just all very vague.
Then we have Toren, a duke, who has been asked by his best friend Theo, Adalia’s brother, to look after her if she ever needs it whilst he is away from England. He offers help a few times and is re-buffed, it isn’t until the life of Adalia’s twin nieces is put in danger that, urged by a letter from Theo she goes to him.
She finds out Theo actually extracted a promise from Toren that he would marry Adalia if she ever needed his protection. Oh and Theo’s dead. So that is what they do and they lie low for a while whilst they try to figure out what the threat is exactly. They have a lot of sex but never stay the night together afterwards. They both very much enjoy the sex but are trying keep each other at arm’s length. A few things happen – they fight over Adalia sheltering the twins, they go to a fair and one of the them nearly gets kidnapped. During this time Adalia falls in love with Toren - far too quickly to be believable – I could not bring myself to believe it at all. Toren’s actions show he is developing feelings for her too except he isn’t capable of love so he doesn’t understand that he has.
Adalia can’t stand the unrequited love in their relationship so she leaves – despite her deep routed fear of the twins safety – she just leaves them in Toren’s care. You would think she would stay for their sake but apparently no, we are supposed to believe she would leave them even thought this goes 100% against how protective she is of them!
She ends up re-opening her club because her friend Violet just lost her husband and is suicidal because of the massive debts she has been left with that apparently they can wipe out in a like 2 weeks of being open again. Toren turns up and is like WTF are you doing? One minute Adalia is mad at him for turning up and ordering her around the next she is giving him a belated Birthday blowjob. She starts to hope he can love her because she ‘sees it in his eyes’. I mean she is right he clearly does love her but the problem is I’m told ‘there was something in his eyes’ but I don’t feel it at all, I can’t see him changing because his actions don’t always match up to the person we are told he is.
The kidnappers attempt to lure Adalia into a trap and it is revealed that Theo is alive and spying for the Government and Toren is his handler. Theo has been kidnapped and tortured and the kidnappers want Adalia as bait or one of the twins to make him talk. Adalia is mad that Toren lied and wants to look for Theo – which is dumb – Toren throws her in his carriage and they journey back to his estate. The kidnappers are following them and attack, kidnapping Adalia. Toren follows the tracks they leave – apparently these spies didn’t think about that - and finds her and Theo really easily, saving them both. They reconcile because nearly dying and losing each other means all past problems are forgotten, baby log, the end.
Aside for the, in my opinion, less than stellar writing, the plot was fighting on too many fronts for me. This book would have been so much better if the author had picked one trope and focused the whole book on it. This should have just been a book about an emotionally stunted man learning to love. We are constantly told he cannot love because he doesn’t understand it. That he grew up with only a Governess to talk to and none of his servants were allowed to talk to him. He reminds me of Wulfric from Balogh’s Bedwyn saga and in the hands of another author I could have really cared about him and felt sad for him but this author just didn’t have the ability to make me feel anything for him. We are told he cant love yet he is capable of interacting and caring about two children. If he was as emotional stunted as we are lead to believe surely he would not be capable of caring so much and so quickly. It would have been better if he had started out as stern and aloof in his interactions with the children and slowly come to realise how to interact with them and Adalia simultaneously. The external plot completely takes over the emotional for me. Adalia had this shitty first marriage in which she loved her husband but he didn’t love her. This wasn’t really needed either, this extra obstacle between them. It would have been enough for her to simply wish for Toren’s love and be frustrated about not getting it in return.
There was one scene I felt got vaguely close to showing Toren change. Adalia awakes from a nightmare crying and Toren comforts her – he is surprised that he want to. But again this doesn’t track with how he can care about the twins but not her?
One scene that particularly bugged me was the one in London where Violet and the Duke meet was really badly done. The tone was entirely too modern. Yes she could show her disdain for him but she would still need to show a modicum of respect the first time meeting a Duke. It just seemed completely out of the time period and I rolled my eyes hard!
I love books with a kidnap of some sort of peril, where the Hero is frantically looking for his heroine or what not. I’m a sucker for that trope but I just didn’t care in this instance.
Theo is a character you could get a great story from. How will he recover from his torture and find love? But I can’t put myself through the torture of finding out. 🤣
I usually put a quote in my reviews and if I’d still cared by this point I’d probably have to go with this one – if I could transport it to another book – or re-write this book in my head it was a good quote.
‘If this is it, that I need to be your champion. That I need you by my side. That I need you in my bed. That I need you to be happy, because without your happiness, I cannot recognise my own. That I want you to be the first thing I see when I awake. That I want my face buried in your hair, the last scent I smell before sleep. That this last month without you left me with a gaping hole in my chest, a torture that would not yield, every breath a struggle. That I suffered unimaginable pain when you were stolen from me – that I did not know how I would move onward if I could not find you.’ He stopped, a last breath fortifying his lungs. ‘Then yes, if that is love, then I do, Adalia. I not only need you, I love you.’
The author came up on my amazon recommendations list and she had quite an extensive back catalogue and good reviews, also her plots sounded really interesting.
Unfortunately the writing, for me, just wasn’t good. I take my hat off to anyone that can sit down and write a book because I couldn’t but this felt very amateurish to me.
I never felt like I could picture the scenes all that well – I would have liked a bit more description to really transport me to the places the author was creating. They just seemed vague in my head. Some of my favourite authors paint such a vivid picture, like I could step right into a scene, here I felt like I was filling in a lot of blanks with my own imagination.
The dialogue was pretty clunky and not always in keeping with the time period. Certain turns of phrase just didn’t make sense. There were a few sidewalks and blocks. I know this crops up from American authors but really if you have an editor this is such a small thing to put right!
The story is that Adalia is widowed and in debt so she opens a gaming club to earn a bunch of money. She had three older brothers who taught her how to play cards etc. This all happens off page so there is no mention of how she lures customers in or how she and her friends, who are ladies of the ton, have the business skills to set up a gaming club. Given the attitude towards woman at the time, especially ladies, this was highly unbelievable. It’s just all very vague.
Then we have Toren, a duke, who has been asked by his best friend Theo, Adalia’s brother, to look after her if she ever needs it whilst he is away from England. He offers help a few times and is re-buffed, it isn’t until the life of Adalia’s twin nieces is put in danger that, urged by a letter from Theo she goes to him.
She finds out Theo actually extracted a promise from Toren that he would marry Adalia if she ever needed his protection. Oh and Theo’s dead. So that is what they do and they lie low for a while whilst they try to figure out what the threat is exactly. They have a lot of sex but never stay the night together afterwards. They both very much enjoy the sex but are trying keep each other at arm’s length. A few things happen – they fight over Adalia sheltering the twins, they go to a fair and one of the them nearly gets kidnapped. During this time Adalia falls in love with Toren - far too quickly to be believable – I could not bring myself to believe it at all. Toren’s actions show he is developing feelings for her too except he isn’t capable of love so he doesn’t understand that he has.
Adalia can’t stand the unrequited love in their relationship so she leaves – despite her deep routed fear of the twins safety – she just leaves them in Toren’s care. You would think she would stay for their sake but apparently no, we are supposed to believe she would leave them even thought this goes 100% against how protective she is of them!
She ends up re-opening her club because her friend Violet just lost her husband and is suicidal because of the massive debts she has been left with that apparently they can wipe out in a like 2 weeks of being open again. Toren turns up and is like WTF are you doing? One minute Adalia is mad at him for turning up and ordering her around the next she is giving him a belated Birthday blowjob. She starts to hope he can love her because she ‘sees it in his eyes’. I mean she is right he clearly does love her but the problem is I’m told ‘there was something in his eyes’ but I don’t feel it at all, I can’t see him changing because his actions don’t always match up to the person we are told he is.
The kidnappers attempt to lure Adalia into a trap and it is revealed that Theo is alive and spying for the Government and Toren is his handler. Theo has been kidnapped and tortured and the kidnappers want Adalia as bait or one of the twins to make him talk. Adalia is mad that Toren lied and wants to look for Theo – which is dumb – Toren throws her in his carriage and they journey back to his estate. The kidnappers are following them and attack, kidnapping Adalia. Toren follows the tracks they leave – apparently these spies didn’t think about that - and finds her and Theo really easily, saving them both. They reconcile because nearly dying and losing each other means all past problems are forgotten, baby log, the end.
Aside for the, in my opinion, less than stellar writing, the plot was fighting on too many fronts for me. This book would have been so much better if the author had picked one trope and focused the whole book on it. This should have just been a book about an emotionally stunted man learning to love. We are constantly told he cannot love because he doesn’t understand it. That he grew up with only a Governess to talk to and none of his servants were allowed to talk to him. He reminds me of Wulfric from Balogh’s Bedwyn saga and in the hands of another author I could have really cared about him and felt sad for him but this author just didn’t have the ability to make me feel anything for him. We are told he cant love yet he is capable of interacting and caring about two children. If he was as emotional stunted as we are lead to believe surely he would not be capable of caring so much and so quickly. It would have been better if he had started out as stern and aloof in his interactions with the children and slowly come to realise how to interact with them and Adalia simultaneously. The external plot completely takes over the emotional for me. Adalia had this shitty first marriage in which she loved her husband but he didn’t love her. This wasn’t really needed either, this extra obstacle between them. It would have been enough for her to simply wish for Toren’s love and be frustrated about not getting it in return.
There was one scene I felt got vaguely close to showing Toren change. Adalia awakes from a nightmare crying and Toren comforts her – he is surprised that he want to. But again this doesn’t track with how he can care about the twins but not her?
One scene that particularly bugged me was the one in London where Violet and the Duke meet was really badly done. The tone was entirely too modern. Yes she could show her disdain for him but she would still need to show a modicum of respect the first time meeting a Duke. It just seemed completely out of the time period and I rolled my eyes hard!
I love books with a kidnap of some sort of peril, where the Hero is frantically looking for his heroine or what not. I’m a sucker for that trope but I just didn’t care in this instance.
Theo is a character you could get a great story from. How will he recover from his torture and find love? But I can’t put myself through the torture of finding out. 🤣
I usually put a quote in my reviews and if I’d still cared by this point I’d probably have to go with this one – if I could transport it to another book – or re-write this book in my head it was a good quote.
‘If this is it, that I need to be your champion. That I need you by my side. That I need you in my bed. That I need you to be happy, because without your happiness, I cannot recognise my own. That I want you to be the first thing I see when I awake. That I want my face buried in your hair, the last scent I smell before sleep. That this last month without you left me with a gaping hole in my chest, a torture that would not yield, every breath a struggle. That I suffered unimaginable pain when you were stolen from me – that I did not know how I would move onward if I could not find you.’ He stopped, a last breath fortifying his lungs. ‘Then yes, if that is love, then I do, Adalia. I not only need you, I love you.’
July 3, 2025
I was not a fan of Adalia at all. She was foolhardy. The main conflict of this book was the hero’s steadfast refusal to acknowledge his own feelings and it just did not work for me. This should’ve been angsty, but it was clear he more than cared for her the whole time, just couldn’t articulate it.
Also the conflict (kidnapping and attempted torture) was resolved way too neatly and quickly to be plausible.
🗝️Historical romance
😑Impetuous h
💔H doesn’t know what love is
🖤Withheld love
I did love the part with the aging couple with dementia.
Also the conflict (kidnapping and attempted torture) was resolved way too neatly and quickly to be plausible.
🗝️Historical romance
😑Impetuous h
💔H doesn’t know what love is
🖤Withheld love
I did love the part with the aging couple with dementia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2025
A great story that explores the meaning of love. The hero, Toren, had a cold and loveless childhood (it is a miracle he is not a serial killer given how he was raised. The heroine, Adalia, is quite is opposite, loving and trusting freely and fully. With the mystery of her brother's death and attempts to kidnap her two young nieces as the backdrop, this story had just the right amount of suspense and intrigue to keep the plot interesting from beginning to end. Highly recommended!
May 8, 2017
The story begins when Adalia, Lady Pipworth has just buried her husband. She is approached by a stranger, who offers his aid as he promised her missing brother, Theo. She rebuffs his offer. However, after one niece is nearly kidnapped and a warning note arrives, she turns to the only person powerful enough to protect them, Theo's friend, the Duke of Dellon. Together they try to find out what happened to Theo and why she and her nieces are in danger.
Adalia is a very strong personality. Hardened and numbed by her two-year marriage, she's determined to concentrate all her energy on saving her family's estate for her missing brother and caring for her nieces.
The duke is a cold, seemingly emotionless man, driven by duty and honor.
The story is very well written with good dialog. Although there is the latent danger threatening Adalia and her nieces, this is not a dark story. There are some light-hearted, amusing scenes. This story kept me turning the pages.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review
Adalia is a very strong personality. Hardened and numbed by her two-year marriage, she's determined to concentrate all her energy on saving her family's estate for her missing brother and caring for her nieces.
The duke is a cold, seemingly emotionless man, driven by duty and honor.
The story is very well written with good dialog. Although there is the latent danger threatening Adalia and her nieces, this is not a dark story. There are some light-hearted, amusing scenes. This story kept me turning the pages.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review
July 6, 2020
2.75 stars
This is a strange book.
The first half jumped headfirst in a story with no background whatsoever (it might be intentional but it felt odd in this book since the heroine keeps pointing out things like we should have prior knowledge to events that happened before).
It was odd to say the least. Maybe some of the exposition was lost in editing (this should not really be my concern as a reader though - trying to piece out a story that has no real context).
The pace was all over the place - I did not really get a lot of sense of time passage except for when the characters clearly stated out that it had been a few weeks or a few days.
I kind of liked the twist in the story and it gave off a bit of freshness but the rest was a train wreck.
I don't think I will read the rest of the series for now since I struggled with this one - maybe I will try when I am in a more generous mood.
The writing is lacking and I don't think there is any reasonable payoff for the time spent slugging through this.
This is a strange book.
The first half jumped headfirst in a story with no background whatsoever (it might be intentional but it felt odd in this book since the heroine keeps pointing out things like we should have prior knowledge to events that happened before).
It was odd to say the least. Maybe some of the exposition was lost in editing (this should not really be my concern as a reader though - trying to piece out a story that has no real context).
The pace was all over the place - I did not really get a lot of sense of time passage except for when the characters clearly stated out that it had been a few weeks or a few days.
I kind of liked the twist in the story and it gave off a bit of freshness but the rest was a train wreck.
I don't think I will read the rest of the series for now since I struggled with this one - maybe I will try when I am in a more generous mood.
The writing is lacking and I don't think there is any reasonable payoff for the time spent slugging through this.
April 18, 2021
Decent historical romance
MY RATING SYSTEM
5 stars--WOW
4 stars--would read again
3 stars--was good, won't read again
2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it
1 star--didn't finish, it was so awful
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Cliffhanger: no
SUMMARY
Adalia isn't sad her husband died, except he died saving his mistress from drowning. At the funeral, a man approaches, claiming to be her brother Theodore's friend, and he offers assistance. She sends him away. Theodore hasn't come home from the Caribbean to take up their family title, so she's got to provide for herself and her brother Alfred's twin daughters. All she does well is gamble, so she uses her dowager's cottage as a gaming hell. She's so successful, Mr Trether demands to marry her. Theo's friend comes back, offers help again. He's the Duke of Dellon.
When, in the course of one hour, Adalia rescues one niece from an attempted kidnapping, finds a letter from Theo saying to trust only the Duke of Dellon if something goes wrong, and then an officer informs her Theo was found dead in the rookeries, Adalia grabs the twins, some money, and gets on the stagecoach to the Duke.
EVALUATION
Told mostly from Adalia's view point, this Regency romance carries intrigue throughout it. We know Toren hides a secret. We know Mr Trether means to hurt Adalia. It's not hard to figure out what's going on, so the intrigue fell flat for me. I also didn't get emotionally connected to the characters.
I like the theme that everyone can love and be loved. I like how independent Adalia is. I want to know why she picks injured soldiers for guards, how Revelry House is successful so fast, and if Adalia trains the servants to speak up.
I learned rookeries has 2 definitions.
RECOMMENDATION
This isn't a bad story, just not gripping. I'm not recommending it, but I'm not dissuading, either. Hence the 3 stars.
FAVORITE QUOTES
“No one asked you to be here, sir. I do attempt to keep the supercilious, pious ogres out of my home, and it appears as though I failed on that account this night.” There was not the slightest reaction to her insult. Not a raised eyebrow. Not a frown. Not a curdled forehead on the man’s face. Without her brothers around, she was out of practice with her barbs.
“The first time we spoke after your husband’s funeral, Lady Pipworth, you called me a vulture.” “Can I plead that I was deep in grief at the time and could not hold my tongue?” “Is it the truth?” “No.” “Then do not plead it.”
[tutor not needed, they're just girls] “They are not ‘just girls,’ Mr. Chesire. They are my nieces. They are my brother’s legacy, and they are intelligent and witty and proud little girls, and they will remain so. They come above everything. Do you hear me? Do not ever dare to dismiss them again—not in front of me, and most certainly not without my knowledge.”
“I…I cannot lose them, lose the girls, Toren. They are my everything.” “The best way to ensure that doesn’t happen is to give them the knowledge they need to make their own decisions, become their own people. Let them make the mistakes when you are there to catch them. To hold them. To make sure they know they can survive anything.”
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS)
Sex: multiple scenes
Language: 0 F words, 1 Lord's name in vain, 0 S words
Violence: multiple attempted kidnappings, torturings, stabbing
MY RATING SYSTEM
5 stars--WOW
4 stars--would read again
3 stars--was good, won't read again
2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it
1 star--didn't finish, it was so awful
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Cliffhanger: no
SUMMARY
Adalia isn't sad her husband died, except he died saving his mistress from drowning. At the funeral, a man approaches, claiming to be her brother Theodore's friend, and he offers assistance. She sends him away. Theodore hasn't come home from the Caribbean to take up their family title, so she's got to provide for herself and her brother Alfred's twin daughters. All she does well is gamble, so she uses her dowager's cottage as a gaming hell. She's so successful, Mr Trether demands to marry her. Theo's friend comes back, offers help again. He's the Duke of Dellon.
When, in the course of one hour, Adalia rescues one niece from an attempted kidnapping, finds a letter from Theo saying to trust only the Duke of Dellon if something goes wrong, and then an officer informs her Theo was found dead in the rookeries, Adalia grabs the twins, some money, and gets on the stagecoach to the Duke.
EVALUATION
Told mostly from Adalia's view point, this Regency romance carries intrigue throughout it. We know Toren hides a secret. We know Mr Trether means to hurt Adalia. It's not hard to figure out what's going on, so the intrigue fell flat for me. I also didn't get emotionally connected to the characters.
I like the theme that everyone can love and be loved. I like how independent Adalia is. I want to know why she picks injured soldiers for guards, how Revelry House is successful so fast, and if Adalia trains the servants to speak up.
I learned rookeries has 2 definitions.
RECOMMENDATION
This isn't a bad story, just not gripping. I'm not recommending it, but I'm not dissuading, either. Hence the 3 stars.
FAVORITE QUOTES
“No one asked you to be here, sir. I do attempt to keep the supercilious, pious ogres out of my home, and it appears as though I failed on that account this night.” There was not the slightest reaction to her insult. Not a raised eyebrow. Not a frown. Not a curdled forehead on the man’s face. Without her brothers around, she was out of practice with her barbs.
“The first time we spoke after your husband’s funeral, Lady Pipworth, you called me a vulture.” “Can I plead that I was deep in grief at the time and could not hold my tongue?” “Is it the truth?” “No.” “Then do not plead it.”
[tutor not needed, they're just girls] “They are not ‘just girls,’ Mr. Chesire. They are my nieces. They are my brother’s legacy, and they are intelligent and witty and proud little girls, and they will remain so. They come above everything. Do you hear me? Do not ever dare to dismiss them again—not in front of me, and most certainly not without my knowledge.”
“I…I cannot lose them, lose the girls, Toren. They are my everything.” “The best way to ensure that doesn’t happen is to give them the knowledge they need to make their own decisions, become their own people. Let them make the mistakes when you are there to catch them. To hold them. To make sure they know they can survive anything.”
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS)
Sex: multiple scenes
Language: 0 F words, 1 Lord's name in vain, 0 S words
Violence: multiple attempted kidnappings, torturings, stabbing
July 7, 2018
A stonehearted duke.
Adalia has received you been widowed. Not that she's grieving particularly. Not after her husband died by diving into the river Thames to save his mistress! To add insult to injury all that he has left her is debts and the use of a house in London that is the family dower house. Her position is made worse because she has the welfare of her dead brother, Caldwell's, twins to raise. She wishes that her brother Theo, the new Earl of Alton, would come home and lift some of the burden from her shoulders.
She only has one skill that might help her: that of playing cards and giving you parties. Based on this she opens Revelry's Tempest, a polite society gaming house. To help her she has her two closest friends, Violet and Cass.
The house does so well that it isn't long before the debts are paid off and she an start to relax. Until, that is, Toren, the Duke of Dellon, enters the picture.
Toren tells her that he made her brother, Theo, a vow that he would look after her and the two girls should anything ever happen to Theo. At first she laughs at him but stops laughing and starts running when somebody tries to abduct one of the girls. She runs straight to Dellon Castle with the girls and without telling even her best friends where she is going.
Totem persuaded her to marry him but tells her from the beginning that he will never be able to lie her but requests that she give him an heir. After her bad marriage she is happy to accept that.
Things become dangerous and learning of the death of Theo throws her into despair. The new Earl hasn't yet been traced and she still has the weight of Alton hanging on her. Things get even worse between her and Toren and she leaves him.
There are a lot of questions a lot of action and a strange romance.
A very nice read.
Adalia has received you been widowed. Not that she's grieving particularly. Not after her husband died by diving into the river Thames to save his mistress! To add insult to injury all that he has left her is debts and the use of a house in London that is the family dower house. Her position is made worse because she has the welfare of her dead brother, Caldwell's, twins to raise. She wishes that her brother Theo, the new Earl of Alton, would come home and lift some of the burden from her shoulders.
She only has one skill that might help her: that of playing cards and giving you parties. Based on this she opens Revelry's Tempest, a polite society gaming house. To help her she has her two closest friends, Violet and Cass.
The house does so well that it isn't long before the debts are paid off and she an start to relax. Until, that is, Toren, the Duke of Dellon, enters the picture.
Toren tells her that he made her brother, Theo, a vow that he would look after her and the two girls should anything ever happen to Theo. At first she laughs at him but stops laughing and starts running when somebody tries to abduct one of the girls. She runs straight to Dellon Castle with the girls and without telling even her best friends where she is going.
Totem persuaded her to marry him but tells her from the beginning that he will never be able to lie her but requests that she give him an heir. After her bad marriage she is happy to accept that.
Things become dangerous and learning of the death of Theo throws her into despair. The new Earl hasn't yet been traced and she still has the weight of Alton hanging on her. Things get even worse between her and Toren and she leaves him.
There are a lot of questions a lot of action and a strange romance.
A very nice read.
March 29, 2021
A steamy historical romance with unusual characters— Torren, “The One-Faced Duke” and Adalia, this story takes place during the war between Britain and France, which is a key component of the plot. When Torren is first introduced, I wondered what might be revealed about him to explain his lack of emotion, assuming it would be a form of ASD, but the truth of it is far more tragic.
The development of the relationship between Adalia and Torren was layered and realistic. Brought together by Adalia’s older brother Theo, the reader does not at first understand why he would direct Adalia to go to the duke for help, but there is a conversation that foreshadows a later epiphany. Torren relates the first conversation he had with Theo, a philosophical discussion regarding the mating habits of peacocks. Theo was convinced that male peacocks were blind because the peahens were so plain. He feared that if their eyesight ever improved, it might mean the demise of the species. “The only thing he could imagine that would save the species was if one could encourage true love between the peacock and the peahen.”
Adalia is the opposite of Torren in almost every way, her enthusiasm and passion for life a stark contrast to his logic and inability to emote. The writing is evocative and engaging and I found myself pulled into the world of Adalia and Torren, understanding their complicated feelings for one another and rooting for Torren to finally realize that what he felt was actually love, even if he didn’t know the word for it. I really enjoyed the book and I recommend it.
The development of the relationship between Adalia and Torren was layered and realistic. Brought together by Adalia’s older brother Theo, the reader does not at first understand why he would direct Adalia to go to the duke for help, but there is a conversation that foreshadows a later epiphany. Torren relates the first conversation he had with Theo, a philosophical discussion regarding the mating habits of peacocks. Theo was convinced that male peacocks were blind because the peahens were so plain. He feared that if their eyesight ever improved, it might mean the demise of the species. “The only thing he could imagine that would save the species was if one could encourage true love between the peacock and the peahen.”
Adalia is the opposite of Torren in almost every way, her enthusiasm and passion for life a stark contrast to his logic and inability to emote. The writing is evocative and engaging and I found myself pulled into the world of Adalia and Torren, understanding their complicated feelings for one another and rooting for Torren to finally realize that what he felt was actually love, even if he didn’t know the word for it. I really enjoyed the book and I recommend it.
December 1, 2025
3.5 rounding up for being well written and a twist I didn’t see coming. After the death of her husband Ada is approached by a friend of her brother Theo who is away on an adventure but dismisses him without really hearing him out. In order to take care of her 2 nieces after her wastrel dead husband left her nothing but debts, Ada realizes that the talent she has for cards which she developed from being raised by 3 brothers, is her way out and she opens a gaming hell. Toren, the duke who was her brother’s friend comes again to offer help and tries to get her to shut down the hell because it’s not respectable, but she sends him away. But then she gets a letter from her missing brother telling her she’s in imminent danger and the only person she can trust is the duke. Ada flees with her nieces and learns that the vow of protection Toren made to her brother was one of marriage. In spite of his cold demeanor Toren is great with the twins and they get along passionately in bed, but when Ada has to come to terms with the fact that Toren’s coldness is bred into him and he’s incapable of loving her back she decides that’s not enough. It’s only when Ada learns that Toren and Theo are spies working for the Crown and that Theo is alive and being held captive that everything comes to a head. Ada is captured to gain leverage over Theo, and in the rescue Toren realizes that he is capable of love. A little overblown but nothing too egregious as the book is relatively short.
March 31, 2019
Exciting
When I read that there was sensual content and adult themes in this story, I was a little worried that it would be the whole point of the book with little real plot. I took a chance since it was well reviewed, and I'm glad I did. This is an exciting story with characters you care about, and plenty of suspense and romance. The sexual content is not lurid or kinky, but nicely done and romantic. The tortured and love-starved duke is exactly the kind of hero to make your heart race, and Adalia is refreshingly plain spoken and good hearted.
I deducted a star for what I felt was overly melodramatic behavior on the part of Adalia. When she discovers the twins being taught to ride horses by the duke, her reaction is way over the top, especially given the fact that she is an avid rider herself. Later when the duke reveals the lie he told her about her brother, her reaction again is kind of silly. Rather than happiness that her brother is alive, she is beyond horrified about the lie. Too much trembling and gasping.
The book is well written with few editing errors. I recommend it.
When I read that there was sensual content and adult themes in this story, I was a little worried that it would be the whole point of the book with little real plot. I took a chance since it was well reviewed, and I'm glad I did. This is an exciting story with characters you care about, and plenty of suspense and romance. The sexual content is not lurid or kinky, but nicely done and romantic. The tortured and love-starved duke is exactly the kind of hero to make your heart race, and Adalia is refreshingly plain spoken and good hearted.
I deducted a star for what I felt was overly melodramatic behavior on the part of Adalia. When she discovers the twins being taught to ride horses by the duke, her reaction is way over the top, especially given the fact that she is an avid rider herself. Later when the duke reveals the lie he told her about her brother, her reaction again is kind of silly. Rather than happiness that her brother is alive, she is beyond horrified about the lie. Too much trembling and gasping.
The book is well written with few editing errors. I recommend it.
November 7, 2024
The Duke of Dallin keeps his promise
The book starts as Adalia is attending her husbands funeral. She is in dire straits. Her husband has creditors who are already calling and his relatives are taking out their resentment on her. Two of her brothers are dead and the third is missing and she has two young nieces she is responsible for. The Duke of Dallon approaches her at the funeral to offer her assistance because he had made a promise to her brother to do so. She sends him away without letting him even introduce himself. Circumstances cause her to go to the Duke and ask for help because she wants to protect her nieces.Toran the Duke of Dallon is not like any character I can remember reading about before. He makes decisions based on logic and shows no emotion in any situation. But he soon grows to love these two little girls and does show emotion with them. Adalia has to make some tough decisions but remains stalwart in whatever situation she finds herself. The characters were compelling and the story held my attention. I felt their sorrow and the worry over the safety of Adalia’s nieces. I hope you will enjoy this too.
The book starts as Adalia is attending her husbands funeral. She is in dire straits. Her husband has creditors who are already calling and his relatives are taking out their resentment on her. Two of her brothers are dead and the third is missing and she has two young nieces she is responsible for. The Duke of Dallon approaches her at the funeral to offer her assistance because he had made a promise to her brother to do so. She sends him away without letting him even introduce himself. Circumstances cause her to go to the Duke and ask for help because she wants to protect her nieces.Toran the Duke of Dallon is not like any character I can remember reading about before. He makes decisions based on logic and shows no emotion in any situation. But he soon grows to love these two little girls and does show emotion with them. Adalia has to make some tough decisions but remains stalwart in whatever situation she finds herself. The characters were compelling and the story held my attention. I felt their sorrow and the worry over the safety of Adalia’s nieces. I hope you will enjoy this too.
August 14, 2021
Loved this story. Adalia is afraid to feel and Toren doesn't know how.
I think the only real snag I had on this story was at the very beginning when she's at the funeral of her wretched husband who died jumping into a river to save his mistress. Toren shows up and tries to talk to her, and she's super rude. Just keep reading and let it pass as her being stressed out from having to be at the funeral and everything she's going through - because it isn't something she does constantly. There's one other time when I felt she acted irrationally, and again, it was when she was feeling emotionally overwhelmed so maybe it's just a character thing.
Toren is calm and responsible, but was never shown affection and rarely even spoken to his entire life. Let's just say its a better late than never coming into his feelings and learning how to accept and recognize them. For them, it begins with passion, leads to anger, fear, love, etc... and he learns how to feel as she opens up and tries to trust again.
I enjoyed the story and it spurred me on to read more in the series.
I think the only real snag I had on this story was at the very beginning when she's at the funeral of her wretched husband who died jumping into a river to save his mistress. Toren shows up and tries to talk to her, and she's super rude. Just keep reading and let it pass as her being stressed out from having to be at the funeral and everything she's going through - because it isn't something she does constantly. There's one other time when I felt she acted irrationally, and again, it was when she was feeling emotionally overwhelmed so maybe it's just a character thing.
Toren is calm and responsible, but was never shown affection and rarely even spoken to his entire life. Let's just say its a better late than never coming into his feelings and learning how to accept and recognize them. For them, it begins with passion, leads to anger, fear, love, etc... and he learns how to feel as she opens up and tries to trust again.
I enjoyed the story and it spurred me on to read more in the series.
September 20, 2021
I was drawn in to the characters and story from page 1, as I have come to expect in K. J. Jackson’s novels. The scenes are detailed and emotionally engrossing. However, the second half of this book had me knocking off a star from my rating: the heroine discovers she has fallen in love with a man whose life has been so devoid of love he considers himself incapable of it—she sees that he loves their nieces—concludes it’s HER he’s incapable of loving—so her only option is to leave him and take the nieces with her, removing all love from the man she supposedly loves madly? How mean is that?! Then, to set up the big moment of danger, this supposedly intelligent man throws her into a carriage and whisks her off to the remote countryside with only a driver for company and gets ambushed after she has flapped a letter in his face proving she was being watched and followed by the bad guys? What kind of spy master is that stupid? So one star off for relying on character’s behaving nonsensically to drive the plot, but otherwise a good read.
May 19, 2017
What a great start to a series! From the start Adalia Pipworths life is one tragedy after another, she's married to an older man becomes a widow, her two older brothers dead and one missing. She refuses to believe he's dead.
With her two nieces in her care and no income she turns too the only thing she's good at......gambling she'll open a gaming establishment for the rich, until the mysterious Duke of Dellon has a request for her a promise made to her brother for her protection. After the near abduction of her nieces Adelia has no choice but to accept. But not all is as it seems just when she falls madly in love with her new husband she's devastated to realize that it's one sided. One heart stopping exciting story that has a dashing hero a headstrong honourable loyal heroine who will fight for those she loves. Loved how he comes undone for her. Yes yes this was a sensational read that I highly recommend!
Received a complementary copy for my honest opinion.
With her two nieces in her care and no income she turns too the only thing she's good at......gambling she'll open a gaming establishment for the rich, until the mysterious Duke of Dellon has a request for her a promise made to her brother for her protection. After the near abduction of her nieces Adelia has no choice but to accept. But not all is as it seems just when she falls madly in love with her new husband she's devastated to realize that it's one sided. One heart stopping exciting story that has a dashing hero a headstrong honourable loyal heroine who will fight for those she loves. Loved how he comes undone for her. Yes yes this was a sensational read that I highly recommend!
Received a complementary copy for my honest opinion.
December 17, 2017
"Of Valor and Vice" is a historical romance along the lines of 'The House' meets 'Pride and Prejudice.' The book begins with Adalia attending her husband's funeral, where she is approached by two men. One is her accountant, who informs her that she is heavily in debt. The other is her only living brother's friend, Toren, who swore to her brother that he would take care of her if something happened to him. Since her brother hasn't been heard from in a while, Toren has decided to fulfill his oath.
To pay her debts, Adalia decides to run a gaming house, which raises its own problems. I think the author has done a good job of portraying the language of the time, which sometimes seems stilted to the modern ear. The romance had a nice build up, although it was somewhat predictable. The flow of the book was good as well. Overall, I think it's a solid historical romance.
Please note that I received this book through a goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.
To pay her debts, Adalia decides to run a gaming house, which raises its own problems. I think the author has done a good job of portraying the language of the time, which sometimes seems stilted to the modern ear. The romance had a nice build up, although it was somewhat predictable. The flow of the book was good as well. Overall, I think it's a solid historical romance.
Please note that I received this book through a goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.
May 18, 2020
K.J. Jackson
4 (enjoy Maureen Driscoll, Elisa Braden, Sophie Jordon, Samantha Holt)
I love series around family members or a group of friends. I love the series even more when the author intertwines those characters throughout the book series (it’s a pet peeve when authors don’t do that because what’s the point of the series and introducing the characters if they are not going to interact throughout the series).
The development and interest in main characters and secondary characters was enjoyable. I really did like the H/H for this book; very well paired as a couple. I loved the writing around the women empowerment (it wasn’t over the top for me).
writing style is easy to follow, humorous moments, the give and take dialogue enjoyable.
romantic/sexual content is written well throughout the book (kissing, oral, love making). I’d rate it 3/5 hotness and steam.
would absolutely recommend the book and the series. I still enjoyed the book for a one time read and the series.
4 (enjoy Maureen Driscoll, Elisa Braden, Sophie Jordon, Samantha Holt)
I love series around family members or a group of friends. I love the series even more when the author intertwines those characters throughout the book series (it’s a pet peeve when authors don’t do that because what’s the point of the series and introducing the characters if they are not going to interact throughout the series).
The development and interest in main characters and secondary characters was enjoyable. I really did like the H/H for this book; very well paired as a couple. I loved the writing around the women empowerment (it wasn’t over the top for me).
writing style is easy to follow, humorous moments, the give and take dialogue enjoyable.
romantic/sexual content is written well throughout the book (kissing, oral, love making). I’d rate it 3/5 hotness and steam.
would absolutely recommend the book and the series. I still enjoyed the book for a one time read and the series.
January 6, 2024
Adalia, Lady Pipworth, wird beim Begräbnis ihres verstorbenen Mannes von einem Fremden angesprochen. Sie wimmelt ihn ab, da sie ihn für einen Gläubiger oder Ähnliches handelt, da ihr ihr Mann nur Schulden hinterlassen hat.
Ohne Erben muss Sie auf den neuen Lord Pipworth warten und da eignet sich das Witwenhaus hervorragend um Geld einzutreiben in dem Sie eine Spielhölle für Adelige daraus macht.
Sie muss vor allem auch an ihre beiden Nichten denken, den die Brüder von Adalia sind auch alle tot. Bis eines Tages wieder der Fremde auftaucht, der sie am Begräbnis angesprochen hat, nur dass er ihr nun Vorträge über die Sittenwidrigkeit hält, denn der Fremde ist der der Duke of Dellon der nicht nur ihrem Bruder versprochen hat ihr zu helfen sondern der auch auf der Suche nach einer Herzogin für sein Anwesen und sein Erbe ist.
Witzige und romantische Geschichte mit kleinen kriminellen Einflüssen und Spannungen. Sehr angenehm zu lesen, flüssig vom Schreibstil und macht Spaß.
Ohne Erben muss Sie auf den neuen Lord Pipworth warten und da eignet sich das Witwenhaus hervorragend um Geld einzutreiben in dem Sie eine Spielhölle für Adelige daraus macht.
Sie muss vor allem auch an ihre beiden Nichten denken, den die Brüder von Adalia sind auch alle tot. Bis eines Tages wieder der Fremde auftaucht, der sie am Begräbnis angesprochen hat, nur dass er ihr nun Vorträge über die Sittenwidrigkeit hält, denn der Fremde ist der der Duke of Dellon der nicht nur ihrem Bruder versprochen hat ihr zu helfen sondern der auch auf der Suche nach einer Herzogin für sein Anwesen und sein Erbe ist.
Witzige und romantische Geschichte mit kleinen kriminellen Einflüssen und Spannungen. Sehr angenehm zu lesen, flüssig vom Schreibstil und macht Spaß.
May 8, 2017
Omg! Just finished this and could not put it down! This is a story of Adalia, Lady Pipworth who just became a widow and was very bitter about it. To earn funds she opens up a gaming establishment to earn money until she heard from her last remaining brother Theo who seemed lost in the war. She was taking care of her two 6 yr old nieces who are the children of her eldest brother who had died. In steps Toren, the Duke of Dellon who had made a promise to her brother Theo who was now found dead. Toren's promise to Theo had been he would take care of his sister if anything happened to him. What evolves is a wonderful story of a man not knowing what having a family or love meant. You will not be dissapointed in this story except that is has to end and cannot wait for the second book!!!
May 9, 2017
Loved, loved, loved this book! As this is the first in a new series, I can hardly wait for the next one.
I instantly adored Adalia who tries so hard to keep her household in tact after the death of her less than charming husband and her nieces safe. She is smart, creative and innovative. She felt she didn't need the help of any man, especially a Duke who showed no emotion. Little did she know that in a short time, her life would be changed forever.
The Duke of Dellon, how many ways can he make me sigh? He is so wounded, but so charming.
This book has it all-passion, spirit, love, mystery, intrigue and so much more. Once I started the book, I didn't want to put it down. When I read The End, I wanted to start over again. Yes, it was that good!
I instantly adored Adalia who tries so hard to keep her household in tact after the death of her less than charming husband and her nieces safe. She is smart, creative and innovative. She felt she didn't need the help of any man, especially a Duke who showed no emotion. Little did she know that in a short time, her life would be changed forever.
The Duke of Dellon, how many ways can he make me sigh? He is so wounded, but so charming.
This book has it all-passion, spirit, love, mystery, intrigue and so much more. Once I started the book, I didn't want to put it down. When I read The End, I wanted to start over again. Yes, it was that good!
June 1, 2017
I chugging along nicely on this book, vaguely enjoying it. It was a solid 3.5 stars. And then I got to the Big Reveal of the Duke's Lie That Would Ruin Everything. And it was... wait? What? That was it? I kept reading, waiting for more, but there just wasn't. It barely qualified as a lie, more like "slightly more detail about a previous story." But he reacted like he had just admitted to drowning her childhood puppy for fun.
If you're going to tease a huge lie that will change everything for half the book, you need to make it something anyone would actually care about! I was so disappointed and betrayed by the lack of a lie, that I put aside the book in disgust. Two weeks later I haven't been able to bring myself to pick it up again, so I'm calling this one done.
Disappointing.
If you're going to tease a huge lie that will change everything for half the book, you need to make it something anyone would actually care about! I was so disappointed and betrayed by the lack of a lie, that I put aside the book in disgust. Two weeks later I haven't been able to bring myself to pick it up again, so I'm calling this one done.
Disappointing.
October 21, 2017
Wonderful book
I gave 5 stars because I loved it. It is a great privilege to review something you find so outstanding. I was taken into this wonderful world of the past and held there until last page. It is unique story with strong hero and heroine. I felt part of this story, and enjoyed all the feelings and emotions of characters. It was full of intrigue, adventure, and sensual love scenes. A page turner, can't wait to see what next, but not stressful to me. There were surprises till very end. Hated to reach end. Sad I hadn't started reading this author's books sooner, but will read them all now. As you can tell I highly recommend this book. I just can't say enough good about this book. I am sure you will enjoy this book, as I did.
I gave 5 stars because I loved it. It is a great privilege to review something you find so outstanding. I was taken into this wonderful world of the past and held there until last page. It is unique story with strong hero and heroine. I felt part of this story, and enjoyed all the feelings and emotions of characters. It was full of intrigue, adventure, and sensual love scenes. A page turner, can't wait to see what next, but not stressful to me. There were surprises till very end. Hated to reach end. Sad I hadn't started reading this author's books sooner, but will read them all now. As you can tell I highly recommend this book. I just can't say enough good about this book. I am sure you will enjoy this book, as I did.
June 4, 2019
MILD SPOILER ALERT!
I have liked other K.J. Jackson books better than this one. The affect of the main character was different, but not believable (to me), especially considering his eventual occupation. Some of the foreshadowing was well-done, and it was completely lacking in other parts. There were a lot of physical scenes that just seemed gratuitous. It was hard to see the characters as one way during the day and another way during the night/those times. I could completely be wrong about this, but I don't think a duchess is called "Your Grace", though I forget what she would be called (it seems to be it is the term only for the man). I will keep reading this author, but I was not as happy with this particular adventure.
I have liked other K.J. Jackson books better than this one. The affect of the main character was different, but not believable (to me), especially considering his eventual occupation. Some of the foreshadowing was well-done, and it was completely lacking in other parts. There were a lot of physical scenes that just seemed gratuitous. It was hard to see the characters as one way during the day and another way during the night/those times. I could completely be wrong about this, but I don't think a duchess is called "Your Grace", though I forget what she would be called (it seems to be it is the term only for the man). I will keep reading this author, but I was not as happy with this particular adventure.
August 31, 2020
Well written and interesting
The leading man is different than most I’ve read. Honorable and likable but very closed off. I loved the transition of his personality and the conversations with the heroine as they work out their relationship.
The heroine is well written as well. Loving and patient but also strong and self reliant.
This book has a great mystery that keeps the book moving and the love story is a medium pace. Not instant love ,but not long and drawn out. It touches on dark moments but not horrifying.
Love scenes are well written and not overly smutty. Just right as far as I’m concerned.
All in all a great story with a sprinkle of sexy times. Happy ending for all.
I highly recommend and I’m off to buy the next book in the series.
The leading man is different than most I’ve read. Honorable and likable but very closed off. I loved the transition of his personality and the conversations with the heroine as they work out their relationship.
The heroine is well written as well. Loving and patient but also strong and self reliant.
This book has a great mystery that keeps the book moving and the love story is a medium pace. Not instant love ,but not long and drawn out. It touches on dark moments but not horrifying.
Love scenes are well written and not overly smutty. Just right as far as I’m concerned.
All in all a great story with a sprinkle of sexy times. Happy ending for all.
I highly recommend and I’m off to buy the next book in the series.
July 20, 2021
What did she possibly love about him?
Seriously, in the time that she falls in love with him, what could she have found to love about him? Orgasms? I mean, those are great and all. But that's pretty much all he was good for. He never gave her anything else to love. If he had been unattractive and bad in bed, she most certainly wouldn't have fallen in love. So, she loved how hot he was and his sexual prowess. And like so many other books I have despised, that's enough to forgive and forget all the bad stuff. Even though the bad stuff far outweighs the good stuff.
I will give the next book a read, since the writing itself wasn't an issue at all. Hopefully this isn't how all of this author's books turn out.
Seriously, in the time that she falls in love with him, what could she have found to love about him? Orgasms? I mean, those are great and all. But that's pretty much all he was good for. He never gave her anything else to love. If he had been unattractive and bad in bed, she most certainly wouldn't have fallen in love. So, she loved how hot he was and his sexual prowess. And like so many other books I have despised, that's enough to forgive and forget all the bad stuff. Even though the bad stuff far outweighs the good stuff.
I will give the next book a read, since the writing itself wasn't an issue at all. Hopefully this isn't how all of this author's books turn out.
August 14, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. I was interested from the beginning and it got more mysterious as I read on. Unlike other reviewers I did not think that Adalia's reaction to the pony incident was out of character. I felt that with the stress, worry, and fear it was a release of many of her fears. Add the fact that her brother was killed my a horse and it seemed appropriate. The over-protectiveness was a natural result and I think Toren handled it well.
This was an excellent mystery and love story. I couldn't put it down after chapter five. I read the first 5 chapters on the first night and then stayed up to finish the book (although I had work in the morning) the next night.
This was an excellent mystery and love story. I couldn't put it down after chapter five. I read the first 5 chapters on the first night and then stayed up to finish the book (although I had work in the morning) the next night.
May 8, 2017
A brilliant start to a new series. This is an engrossing read and I just had to keep reading until the end. There are many secrets in this book and they are revealed in stages. Toren is an intriguing character, who develops throughout the storyline. Adalia has much to recommend her, although she was quite impetuous at times and didn't fully think through her actions. I'm really looking forward to the next in the series. I received an arc which I voluntarily reviewed. This is my honest review. I also purchased this book for my kindle.
March 13, 2019
I loved it. That’s the short version. I do love historical romances, they are my weakness in the romance genre itself. I just adore the writing, the scenery and the idea of society. Because I doubt living in this era was actually all that fun, wouldn’t it be great to know?
Anyway, I was thoroughly impressed with this book. I know I like K.J. Jackson’s writing anyway but she is just truly engaging and brings you in from the first chapter. She fully grabs you and you just stay there and enjoy the ride. I just couldn’t put the book down.
Sometimes in a historical romance you come across characters that you see once or twice and never hear from again, it’s just to create a turbulence in the story, but K.J. Jackson doesn’t seem to do that and that’s so refreshing. All the characters added something to the story, no silly scenes that just exist as story-filler and don’t really add anything to the story. She creates strong, diverse characters in a historical narrative.
The hero and heroine were a delight, I loved the twists and turns we procured during this story. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings. It was wonderful. It is again, a standalone in a series and I always appreciate them, but, a part of me wishes it was dragged out a little bit more so I didn’t finish it so quickly. Although, that more than likely would’ve ruined it so I will just have to be satisfied with its given length.
Anyway, I was thoroughly impressed with this book. I know I like K.J. Jackson’s writing anyway but she is just truly engaging and brings you in from the first chapter. She fully grabs you and you just stay there and enjoy the ride. I just couldn’t put the book down.
Sometimes in a historical romance you come across characters that you see once or twice and never hear from again, it’s just to create a turbulence in the story, but K.J. Jackson doesn’t seem to do that and that’s so refreshing. All the characters added something to the story, no silly scenes that just exist as story-filler and don’t really add anything to the story. She creates strong, diverse characters in a historical narrative.
The hero and heroine were a delight, I loved the twists and turns we procured during this story. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings. It was wonderful. It is again, a standalone in a series and I always appreciate them, but, a part of me wishes it was dragged out a little bit more so I didn’t finish it so quickly. Although, that more than likely would’ve ruined it so I will just have to be satisfied with its given length.
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