Seduced at Midnight

Mayhem in Mayfair #3

by Jacquie D'Alessandro

The Ladies Literary Society of London gathers again for a ghost story...

Lady Julianne Bradley has always longed for wild adventure. Unfortunately, the man with whom she wishes to share her fervor can never be hers. Tormented by her desire, she's preparing for a suitable marriage when ghostly occurrences straight out of her latest read start happening - and to protect Julianne, her father hires the very man her heart cries out for.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance, Mystery

324 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Jacquie D'Alessandro grew up on Long Island and fell in love with romance at an early age. She dreamed of being swept away by a dashing rogue riding a spirited stallion. When Joe, her hero finally showed up, he was dressed in jeans and driving a Volkswagen, but she recognized him anyway. They married after they both graduated from Hofstra University, and are now living their happily-ever-after in Atlanta, Georgia, along with their very bright and active son, Christopher, alias "Junior", who is a dashing rogue in the making.

Reviews

[*CJ* · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Seduced at Midnight" is the story of Julianne and Gideon.

Our favorite "Ladies Literary Society of London" gather again, this time for an erotic ghost story. Fiction matches reality when a mysterious ghost starts committing murders of seemingly unconnected women, and the man hired to investigate is the famous Bow Street Runner, Gideon Mayne.
Lady Julianne Bradley was born into peerage, and is confined by the shackles of the society and her parent's expectations. Always wanting true love and adventure, she is forced to give into her sad fate of a marriage of convenience, thanks to uncaring parents and pressures of the gentry. That is until, the hero is made responsible for her safety and their passion begins too hard to deny..

A forbidden romance between a hardworking, brave hero and a kind, gentle heroine. I usually do not like the mystery aspects of romance books, but this was so well written it totally kept me engaged. Furthermore, I laughed, cried and swooned- the scenes of the hero singing, their sweet courtship, the blooming romance between their dogs- Princess Buttercup and Caesar, the ladies' friendship- all kept me hooked- and the seduction scenes were SO HOT! I liked how honest they were about their feelings, and how they did not let their pasts weigh them down.

Remaining friend Emily came off extremely snobbish in this book, but I'm guessing it is to set up the romance between her and the mysterious Logan in the last book of this series. Also, was great to read updates about Sarah and Carolyn's HEA.

Honestly, my fourth book by this author, and ALL have been amazing! The ending was SO SATISFYING!

SWE
4.25/5

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in the Mayhem in Mayfair series and I actually liked it a lot. Although no book in the series has been great so far, they all were interesting and entertaining and I don't regret reading them. It's just that there's not something special about them.

This is the story of Lady Julianne, daughter of an earl, and the most beautiful of the four heroines. Julianne is under pressure from her cold parents to marry a titled and rich gentleman. They found the perfect candidate in the face of Duke of Earling, a widower in his early forties. However, there have been some murders and thefts lately between the ladies of the ton and Julianne seems to be a likely candidate herself. Her father has no other choice but to assign the duty of her protection to the best Bow Street Runner, Gideon Mayne. Julianne though has been attracted to Gideon -and vice versa- ever since their first meeting, 2 months ago. So now that they are able to spend time with each other, they get to know each other better and their passion evolves to something more. But she is betrothed to marry to the duke in less than two weeks and besides her parents would never accept a poor commoner.

I'm a fan of forbidden love themes, and this one had enough depth and emotion to be truly enjoyable. Their desperation and attraction to each other was obvious, as was Gideon's effort to cling to his pride and not take another man's fiance. Julianne started as a pawn under her mother's finger but developed some spine by the end of the book that made her much more likable and interesting. And Gideon was great from start anyway: a strong, honorable, steady man. A great man for Julianne to lean on and give her the passion she craved.

I really enjoyed reading this and should perhaps rate it with 4 stars rather than 3. Only I don't think I will remember much of this by month's end; there was just nothing to make it stand apart. If you already have it in your TBR or read the first two of the series, you won't regret reading this.

Update: ok, I finally upgraded it to 4 stars. Apparently I can still remember enough things -and rather fondly- after two months:)

[Juli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encanta esta historia. La leí por primera vez cuando tenía 13 años. Y ahora la volví a disfrutar como esa niña.
La trama y como maneja todo la autora. ENCANTADA

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

After the first two books in the series (which I adored) this was a bit of a let-down for me. It has practically ALL the thinks I hate in a HR (ridiculous murderous villain, horrible parents no one stands up to, a heroine complaining about everyone thinking of her she's shallow who does nothing to convince me otherwise (she even has a rat, sorry, dog, called "Princess Buttercup" which she dresses up in little outfits to match hers...), a last-minute kidnapping...), and the fact that I finished this just goes to show how good this author is.
But in the end, there was just too much angst-ridden internal dialogue for me, and given the severity of the issue the hero and heroine were facing (she's a Lady and he a Bow Street Runner), there were practically no real obstacles in there way. Her friends were all happy that she fell in love, and we never learn what her parents think about their elopement and impromptu wedding. I guess I just need... more if I'm supposed to become invested in their "he/she is way out of my reach" dilemma. Some real obstacles to overcome, not just a smooth way to the inevitable happily ever after. I guess the whole "class difference" trope just didn't really work for me, which is a shame, because I really enjoyed the first two books in this series (which were lighter and wittier, even if they also featured a murderer...), and I am looking forward to the next book.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed this series. In the previous books, we got glimpses of a potential attraction between Lady Julianne and the Bow Street Runner Gideon Mayne. That attraction is fully explored here and pulls out all the stops for a forbidden love theme. While not as angsty as Lisa Kleypas' Again the Magic, this story still packed a punch and you could feel the desperation and longing on every page.

Lady Julianne is the daughter of a heartless Earl and equally heartless Countess. She has all of the creature comforts she could ask for, but has no meaningful connections with anyone except her friends Emily, Carolyen, and Sarah (heroines of the other books in this series). Her parents are in the process of setting up a betrothal for her that will bring them the most money and connections with no consideration at all for Julianne herself. While I know this was common in these times, the way the Earl and Countess go about it is really despicable. When someone begins murdering and stealing from wealthy members of the ton, Julianne's parents hire a Bow Street Runner to make sure Julianne stays alive in time for her to get married.

Gideon Mayne has been drawn to Lady Julianne since the first time he laid eyes on her. When he is hired by her parents, it brings him into close proximity to a woman he can never have. Julianne does not fight their attraction and makes it impossible for Gideon to keep his distance. The two know that society is against them, but are drawn together so strongly they can't help themselves.

Jacques D'Alessandro is a nice storyteller. She fleshes out delightful characters and captures feelings of friendship, lust, and love beautifully. In this story, there was almost an excess of inner dialogue which served to ratchet up the angst, but this didn't last the entire book. D'Alessandro also weaves in a mystery and drops in clues throughout the story. I had my suspicions but did not have it all figured out when everything was revealed. I liked that this story had a focus on Julianne's friendship with Carolyn, Sarah, and Emily, as well as her romance with Gideon, and finally the mystery of the ghost murderer and thief. There was enough action and angst to keep things interesting, but not so much that I was overwhelmed or confused. The story was balanced, romantic, and a tiny bit bittersweet.

This was not quite five stars because of the almost repetitive inner dialogue at the beginning of the story and because I felt that the ending left some issues unresolved. However, I still enjoyed it and considered it a good read. I'm going to check out the next book and see if some of the threads from this story are mentioned there.

For those who enjoy forbidden love stories, I recommend this one. This is the third in the series but could be read standalone...although I've found this series to be sweet and worth reading in its entirety.

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacquie D'Alessandro latest regency romance is "Seduced at Midnight". This is book three in her 'Mayhem in Mayfair' series about a group of spunky heroines who form a socially acceptable literary society yet read books that wouldn't be on any socially acceptable list in the ton! These feisty gals find their heroes in the course of the books. I've been a fan of D'Alessandro since I read "Red Roses Mean Love" in 1999. Her books are like a bag of popcorn, not too serious, lots of fun, and yet you don't feel heavy when you're done.

Lady Julianne is the daughter of socially-conscious parents. Her mother is cold and distant, and her father never passes up the opportunity to remind her of her worthlessness as a female, other than marrying well of course. Now it appears her minimal freedom is almost over as her father is 'interviewing' suitors to choose the best (read richest and highest ranking) match. Poor Julianne can only dream of adventure now, right? At least until a robber/murderer puts her in his sights and her father hires the totally unsuitable, yet man of Julianne's dreams, Gideon.

Gideon came from nothing, yet has become one of the best Bow Street Runners. His reputation is what gets him hired by Julianne's father to protect her. Too bad for Gideon since she's the only woman he's never been able to get out of his head. And the more time they spend together, the worse it is...because his attraction and appreciation for her keep growing. But he's a Mister, not a Lord, and that makes him totally inappropriate for Lady Julianne.

I enjoyed reading this book. I figured out fairly early who the 'bad guy' was, but that didn't bug me at all as I just concentrated on the growth of the relationship between Julianne and Gideon. And yes, the sequence of events that lead to their happy ending are pretty improbably, but once again...I was just having too much fun reading the rest of the story to worry about that. I don't let the occasional burned or unpopped piece of popcorn spoil my enjoyment of the rest of the bowl!

[ChloeLeeNH · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was FILLLLLLLLLLED with sexual tension! WOW... at first I felt like it was a bit hard to get through... a lot of internal conflict and they didn't seem to have a connection but once you saw them on a daily basis you just knew that it was going to steam for a while.

[Julianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for THC Reviews
Thus far all of the books in Jacquie D’Alessandro’s Mayhem in Mayfair series have been delightful reads, and Seduced at Midnight, the third installment is no exception. The series centers around four friends who’ve formed a book club, whose reads tend to inspire and/or parallel other events in the story. In this one the ladies are reading a fictional, salacious, ghost story titled The Ghost of Devonshire Manor in which a lady falls in love with her ghostly lover. It makes our heroine, Julianne, long for a love like what is depicted in the book, while at the same time, a mystery plays out in which ladies of the ton are being robbed and murdered by someone the papers are calling a ghost. That’s because no one knows how the culprit is gaining entry to the houses and he doesn’t really leave any evidence behind. Julianne has a crush on Bow Street Runner, Gideon Mayne, whom she met two months before when he interviewed her about another crime that happened in the previous book, so she uses the ghostly murderer to engineer a story that she hopes will keep him close to her. But soon she finds that she’s become a target of the real ghost. It all made for a very fun, deeply romantic, emotional, and sexy read.

As the daughter of an earl, Julianne, like most aristocratic women, is expected to marry a man of her father’s choosing. However, her father is an exacting man who has no care whatsoever for her feelings or wishes, and her mother is no better. She’s like a bird in a gilded cage, who has everything she could ever want from a material perspective, but nothing that she truly needs. What Julianne longs for is someone to genuinely see her and accept her for who she really is. And she wants a man who will love her like her two good friends’ husbands love them, not just someone who’s looking to make an advantageous match. Thus far all of the men who’ve come courting have left Julianne cold, but not so of Gideon Mayne. He’s starred in her romantic fantasies ever since she met him two months ago, and she’d dearly love to get to know him better. But even after her father hires Gideon to be her bodyguard and she seems to be getting part of her wish, she knows that a real match between them is all but impossible, because he’s so far beneath her station. Most people see Julianne as a shy, aloof young woman, but inside she’s very passionate about a lot of things: books, music, her dog, and especially Gideon. She longs for adventure, and I love how she takes chances with her heart and unselfishly gives all of herself to the man she loves. Not only do we share a name, but Julianne and I share a lot of personality traits, so I related to her extremely well.

Gideon has been equally enamored of Julianne ever since meeting her, but he knows he can’t entertain thoughts of being with her. However, when Julianne finds him alone in the garden at a party while he’s investigating the “ghost,” she proves a temptation he can’t resist, but after sharing a steamy kiss, he knows he must put her out of his mind. Not only is a Bow Street Runner marrying a lady of the ton simply unheard of, but his background growing up with a father who was a thief makes him an even more unpalatable match. Despite that, all of his good intention go up in flames when Julianne tells him she heard ghostly noises which takes his investigation to her home. From there, actual threats are made against her, prompting her father to hire him to keep her safe. The close proximity wreaks havoc on his self-control, especially after Gideon starts really getting to know Julianne and finds that she’s anything but the spoiled, pampered princess he originally thought she was. Gideon is a good and honorable man, who always tries to do the right thing. I love how he sees the real Julianne and genuinely appreciates her. And I also love how protective he is of her, even to the point of verbally defending her against her parents and wanting to do more. He totally loses his heart to her, which makes the knowledge that he can never actually be with her all the more painful.

Seduced at Midnight has a number of secondary characters to round out the cast. From Sleepless at Midnight, we have Sarah and Matthew. Because of her feminist sensibilities, Sarah proves the most compassionate of Julianne’s friends when they discover that she has feelings for Gideon, while her husband plays a minor role in helping Gideon with a few things. Then there’s Daniel and Carolyn from Confessions at Midnight. Daniel’s role is similar to Matthew’s while Carolyn, at first, isn’t entirely supportive of Julianne and Gideon but eventually comes around. Emily, the last of the four friends, is pretty appalled when she discovers her friend has fallen for a commoner. She actually comes off as a bit shallow, but at the same time, she seems to protest a bit too much about Logan, the handsome American businessman who also provides Gideon with some assistance and whom she’s paired with in the final book, Tempted at Midnight. In the epilogue of this book, they’re seen in the aftermath of what appears to have been a steamy kiss, which is chronicled in the bonus short story, When Emily Kissed Logan. I’ll be very interested to see if Emily lightens up and how these two resolve their differences. There are also lords aplenty vying for Julianne's hand in marriage, and most of whom eventually fall under suspicion as the perpetrator of the crimes. Finally, we have the two most adorable characters of all, Gideon’s dog, Ceasar, and Julianne's dog, Princess Buttercup. I’ve certainly read a number of romance novels with romances for supporting characters, but I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve read one in which the romance was of the canine variety, which was just too cute for words.

Seduced at Midnight was simply a wonderful read all the way around. I loved both Gideon and Julianne and related to them both. Their romance is emotional and heartfelt, and I appreciated that the author didn’t offer easy solutions to them getting their HEA. The secondary characters are equally as wonderful and I loved getting updates on our past couples and a glimpse of what things might be like for our final couple. The mystery was perhaps a bit predictable, but it didn’t detract from the fun of getting to the reveal. Not to mention, there’s some delicious steam, with a couple of the hottest, not-quite-all-the-way love scenes I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I enjoyed every minute I spent on this book, and very much look forward to the final volume to see if it makes the series a clean sweep of perfection.

[Maureen Feeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Julianne Bradley's dream is to marry for love, but her cold hearted parents are going to marry her off to the Duke of Eastling, who will take her to his estate in cornwall and leave her there. When thinking of her imaginary love, Julianne always pictures Bow Street Runner Gideon Mayne who she met 2 months earlier during a murder enquiry. Gideon also has feelings for Julianne but knows he is far beneath her. His face is what Julianne sees when she reads the latest novel from her book club, the Ladies Literary Society of London do not read boring, acceptable books. The books they read are very sexually explicit and they are now reading "The Ghost of Devonshire Manor". All of london are talking of The Ghost Thief who is robbing and murdering titled women. While at a ball Julianne follows Gideon to the garden, too embarressed to tell him why she pursued him, she lies and says that she heard the Ghost thief in her house. Her father hires Gideon to protect her, now poor Gideon has to watch the woman he wants day and night and never have her, but it soon appears that Julianne really is in danger.

Full of sexual tension and I know some reviewers have issue with Gideon being coarse but I didn,t after all he is an ordinary bloke and not supposed to be refined. Great sex scenes and a lovely romance plus cameos from the characters from the previous books.

[Michelle Connolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of Seduced at Midnight was good. I was really looking forward to reading a bodyguard/protector kind of romance, but the plot itself didn't deliver what I was hoping for. Now, I know I shouldn't judge a book for not being what I wanted it to be, but the problem lay on the fact that the build up happened too quickly, and the elements revolving around it didn't have enough support to actually make it believeable. Julianne and Gideon met two months prior ro the story while he was investigating a crime, and they both secretly develop a strong infauation for one another. They obviously don't act upon it because she is the daughter of an Earl and he is a Bow Street Runner, so they don't interact or get to know each other. Then, at a ball, she follows him into the garden, where they end up kissing passionately, and then makes up this pretense about a ghost in her house because she doesn't want him to know she came outside looking for him. Obviously, as a perfect timing, when he comes to her house to look into the matter, she has now been genuinely threatened by someone. This all felt very silly and unrealistic to me. Why not have her being accosted or stalked beforehand and then bring him into the picture? Why include all that nonsense? Why have them kiss so passionately before the story has even begun?
After that, it all seemed too repetitive and, given the fact that the whole story takes place in the space of about a week, that became annoying.
The writing was okay, it seemed to flow well enough for me, but there were some irritating habits I gor tired of. For example, the phrase 'Has anyone every told you that you're...'. It became sort of like a little game between the H and h, but it was used so frequently that what at the beginning seemed slightly amusing and cute, by the end turned out to be very annoying and stupid. Also, the extremely frequent use of 'Bloody hell' at the beginning of the Hero's musings. Now and then it's perfectly fine, it can add a bit of drama or whatever to what he's thinking, but at one point it seemed like the Hero couldn't think about anything without adding 'Bloody hell' first. There's a Spanish work for these kinds of frequent repetitions of words and phrases. It's called 'muletillas'. There might be an English translation, but I've never heard it before. We all have them, we all use them, but as an author you need to be careful of these details. It can be very tiring for a reader, and this author has many of them.
The mystery subplot had me guessing for a while, but there weren't any big surprises there either. The secondary charecters were interesing enough. I wouldn't mind reading Emily and Logan's story later on -although Emily was my least favourite of Julianne's friends, but I quite liked Logan (the rish American). Sara was a good and loyal friend, I quite liked her, so her book might be nice to read. As for her husband though, I couldn't tell him apart from the other friend's (Carolyn's I think) husband. They both reminded me of those little fat twins from Alice in Wonderland. They were basically the same character. Whatever one said, the other just agreed on. So, I'm not really sure how interesting they'd be as Heros.
To sum up, the story wasn't bad, it just didn't hold that much excitement for me. I read through the whole thing with the same dull expression on my face. My heart didn't speed up at any moment, my eyes didn't fill up with any tears, I didn't sigh or even roll my eyes, and I like having my emotions played with while reading a book. That's what I read books for. I like to laugh and cry, sigh and gasp. I like to feel myself what the characters are feeling, and I just wasn't feeling it.
The ending was sweet though, and I liked the fact that she gave up her wealth and station in life to be with him. I obviously knew they were going to end up together, but an author would usually make up an inheritance or a title or whatever so they can be together and also be wealthy and rich. In this case, however, she just became the simple wife of a Bow Street Runner, and I found that refreshing.

[Sara Reads (mostly) Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a hot cop/detective and bow street runner books are my fave! I skipped the second novel in the series cause the blurb didn't really appeal to me but this was fun! Not great writing but great characters and really great side characters. Low key, low angst and lighthearted and cute. I'll read the last one cause I just love the plot even though it's formulaic as hell

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing exciting about this book. With all the murders that happened in this book (and in previous books) it's surprising that any Lords or Ladies are even left.

[Catherine Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so bloody good. I love this series so much! Can't wait to start on the next.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into this book. It's not that it was bad, per se, so much as none of the characters really grabbed me despite having had contact with them in the previous two books in this series. Once I got more into, I did enjoy it and the characters finally came to life. My biggest complaint about the book was the amount of set up versus payoff.Some of the resolutions were a little too pat for me, there was a lot of time setting up the obstacles Julianne and Gideon faced and then very little time showing how they got past them (and even then the resolution was a little too easy). In that way, the ending is a little too abrupt and somewhat unsatisifying.That said, the book did do a good job of getting me excited for Logan and Emily's story and I will be reading that as soon as it comes out.

[The Romance Reviews (Carole) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Unique and intriguing with an unusual hero and the heroine who'd risk everything for him"

As Gideon is so fond of summarizing things in one word, the word I have for this book--Delicious!

The author takes full advantage of the um, delicious situation our hero and heroine find themselves in and what we have is a hot, hot, hot story where the pages sizzled with their tension and passion, not to mention all that angst and internal conflict. I couldn't stop turning the pages and I finished the book in two days! (And only because I needed to sleep) I love Jacquie D'Alessandro's writing and I'm off to get the rest of the series!

Reviewed by Shana for The Raving Readers

Full Review

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 3rd book about 4 friends in the Ladies Literary Society of London, this being Lady Julianne's story. When Julianne's life is threatened, Bow Street Runner Gideon Mayne (introduced in the first book of the series) is hired by Julianne's family to protect her in order for her to marry a Duke. Julianne and Gideon's love story is a feisty one, this book has more action than the previous 2 books and the tension between them is a page turner. I anxiously await the last book in the series, Emily's love story.

[Daneesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

a LOT of sexual tension between the hero and heroine. the mystery was not so exciting and neither was the climax. the relationship between the main characters made this book.

[Jo Reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping and emotional tale
5 stars

Lady Julianne Bradley's dream is to marry a man who loves her madly and embark on wild adventures together. Unfortunately the man she wants to share her adventures with is someone that can never be hers. When a spate of murders start in Mayfair and it seems that Julianne is the next target, her father hires the man of her dreams to protect her.

Bow Street Runner Gideon Mayne's most difficult task is to catch the killer - while also managing to keep his hands off Julianne. Convinced she is a pampered princess he is stunned to find himself utterly wrong which only makes the passion burn hotter between the pair. But with Julianne set to submit to an arranged marriage - she is determined to taste passion at least once in her life and is determined that Gideon will be the man to help her.

Despite being the third book in the Mayhem in Mayfair series (after Sleepless at Midnight and Confessions at Midnight) this was the first book of the series I have read and found it stands alone quite nicely although it does whet your appetite to read the other books.

This book was a delight from start to finish. I loved the characters and the emotions really packed a punch as both Gideon and Julianne struggled to cope with their feelings and the restrictions placed on them. The book was nicely sensual and I really felt the chemistry between the main pair.

There was a light mystery element to the story that did keep me guessing right to the end but didn't scare me at all (and I'm a complete scaredy cat!). The writing was excellent and I felt drawn into a rich picture of Regency London.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, couldn't put it down and found myself constantly thinking of it when I wasn't reading. I'm definitely going to buy and read the first two books in the series and can't wait for Logan and Emily's story in Tempted At Midnight. Definitely worth 5 stars.

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS WAS A SOLID CLASSIC AS FAR AS HISTORICAL ROMANCES GO!
STAR CROSSED LOVERS? CHECK.
3D CHARACTERS? CHECK.
PLOT? MODERATELY ENJOYABLE.

OUR HERO is a bow street runner who is unlike any of the dandies in high society. He's tall, muscled well without the help of paddings and he's definitely rough around the edges. He also makes our heroine's heart pound like never before. For Gideon on the other hand, he is immensely attracted to Julianne unlike any woman before, not even the woman he loved years ago. When she concocted an incident just to be alone with him, it spirals into something more and eventually the lie becomes a reality when a villain is really out to get her. I do so enjoyed their chemistry and loved how real and sweet it was. The passion was smouldering yet the attention he gave her was a 100% and it showed in his every action, though he tried his best to NOT want her. I liked Gideon. He's HONORABLE and hard working, he's also determined to mete out justice and he's definitely a loyal man.

OUR HEROINE is an extreme beauty but she's sick of being just a pretty existence. Her parents only use her for the sake of elevating their status and they barely tolerate her. For once she longs for what her friends have with their husbands - lover, confidante and passion...something to call her own and love her. Only one man arouses her desires and it is Gideon. After sharing a wild, passionate kiss in the dark she conjured a lie to cover up her embarrassment but one thing led to another and Gideon is now temporarily living with her family and she's going to CARPE DIEM with him until the time when she will be married to a devastating Duke. Julianne was adorably awkward but i do loved her determination to finally step out of her comfort zone and acted on her feelings for Gideon who was too HONORABLE to make a compromising move against her first.

OVERALL this was wonderful and engaging. I adore the dogs in this story, they gave me a lot of LOL moments along with their owners and I think this may be the only D'Alessandro book that caught my attention.

[Isalum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tercera entrega de esta serie. Una vez más se reúne la sociedad literaria de Londres. Ahora han seleccionado una novela sobre una joven y un fantasma, al estilo de las novelas góticas del siglo XIX.
Julianne, está abocada a un matrimonio concertado. Ha sido así desde su nacimiento. Sabe que es una decepción para sus padres porque no nació varón.
En realidad el mejor partido de la temporada, el duque de Earling, viudo desde hace un tiempo aún es un hombre muy apuesto. Solo hay dos problemas: vive en Cornualles y todas las amigas de Julianne no quieren que la joven se marche al otro extremo del país a vivir y, segundo, Julianne se siente atraída por otro hombre.
En esta ocasión, un asesino anda suelto y está matando y robando a bellas damas de la alta sociedad.
Cuando parece que Julianne está amenazada su padre no dudará en contratar a uno de los inspectores de Bow Street más reputados. La atracción de Julianne y Gideon surgió dos meses atrás cuando el detective tuvo que hacerle unas preguntas sobre las muertes acontecidas en la novela anterior de la serie.
Julianne quiere a Gideon, desearía no ser una joven heredera y poder elegir con quién pasar el resto de su vida pero está resignada a una vida triste y lejos de sus amigas. Hasta que se da cuenta que un asesino ha entrado en su habitación.
La trama de los asesinatos me ha gustado más que en la novela anterior. Aunque es verdad que esta novela me ha parecido más flojita porque tiene algunas incongruencias. Está lady Buttercup siempre rondando a Julianne, pero cuando aparece el asesino y Gideon registra la casa el perro no está por ningún sitio. Y así con algún otro detalle.
En general es una novela la mar de entretenida que se lee rápido.

[Soleil · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Lo ame, No es que no pueda simplemente dejarlo en mi estantería sin suspirar por todo lo que leí, es tan lindo ,ya que no solo es un romance sino que también toma conceptos como cleptomania, clasismo, la superación y el dolor, también qué la familia que te crío no siempre es quien te apoyará por siempre y que debes buscar quienes lo harán de verdad.

Reseña

Julianne ha vivido toda su vida como el varón que nunca fue, así que cuando la comprometen solo debe contentarse con el triste final que le espera, sin embargo cuando comienzan los ataques del fantasma todo comienza a cambiar no por que este constantemente Gideon Mayne alrededor suyo y de toda la sociedad para encontrar aquel ladrón-asesino sino qué por solo una mentira lo tendrá a su lado en busca de u a mentira que termina siendo verdad, puesto que al buscar su atención, comenzó una persecución contra suya. Para Gideon cuidar a Lady Bradley era un terror no solo porque a sus ojos era una mimada princesa sino que la deseaba hace mucho mas qué unas semanas ,por lo que cuando lo llaman para ir a cuidarla ,a protegerla,sin embargo ¿Quien la protegerá de él? Cuando solo le importe a qué saben sus besos

[Sharon Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this somewhat older historical romance, romance novels are my go-to comfort books when I'm stressed out, and I've definitely had stress lately. Anyway, this story revolves around Lady Julianne Bradley and Bow Street Runner(historical Britain's P.I.s you might say) Gideon Mayne. They are definitely attracted to each other, but she has already been spoken for, in an arranged upcoming marriage to a duke she really cannot stand, but seeing as he's got money, and a "common" man like Gideon doesn't have nearly that kind of money, there's really nothing more that can be done, or is there?! I enjoyed the backstory behind this romance, as it was a mystery, someone has been going around killing women in the community, and stealing their jewels, and Gideon is hired by Julianne's father to be her bodyguard when her bedroom is broken into one night. Of course, there's plenty of sexy times involved, but I found it tastefully done, not too raunchy or over the top. All in all, a great romance that reminded me how much I enjoy reading them.

[Geovanna Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hace demasiados años leí a la autora y se que me gustó el libro porque la historia era algo diferente en relación a los protagonistas masculinos que suelo encontrarme (más físicamente).
Así que aún con todo esperaba encontrar algo entretenido y obtuve una historia que me emociono, con un misterio que al final fue predecible pero que no tengo demasiadas quejas porque estaba más centrada en el final que tendrían los protagonistas, que si, se que obviamente se van a quedar juntos pero estaba interesada en ese proceso que aunque fue muy rosa y cursi me dejó con un buen sabor de boca.
Ambos protagonistas tenian lo suyo y me gustaba ese tira y afloja de ambos, que sean tan diferentes y a la vez tan iguales con escenas divertidas, sobre todo ame que cada uno tuviera un perrito.

Sobre el final como dije, me gustó, pero lo que me emocionó es que dió un paso para conocer la última historia de este cuarteto de amigas, así que espero leermelo porque siento que me encontraría con personajes de los más difíciles porque no sabes cómo lograran estar juntos.

[Resonant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I own the whole series but accidentally started with book 3 cuz i randomly pulled it out of the box and was like yeah ok im in the mood for a historical romance this one looks good.

Gideon is an awesome guy, i love when you see the sparks of jealousy in him. And he falls first. Those are my favorite types. He's honorable and brave, but he's also completely consumed by her. He doesnt want to want her, tries to resist her, but yeah, that doesnt work out to well for him.

Julianne is a great girl as well. She sees her future flashing before her eyes and says "Ayoo f that noise" and decides to do something SHE wants for once. Brave girl. Shes smart and funny and so much more then people expect from her. That's why when Gideon sees HER not just her beauty its so easy to fall for him.

Also. There are dogs that also fall in love. So who doesnt want that?

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A premissa do livro é ótima, o mocinho, por artimanhas da protagonista é obrigado a virar um espécie de guarda-costa dela pois a mesma é extremamente apaixonada pelo mesmo mas a condição social diferente (ela rica e ele pobre) os separa. O livro têm momentos muito bons de cenas sensuais, mocinha decidida, mocinho honrado e protetor, um casal perfeito, é incrível como os protagonistas da autora são maravilhosos, daqueles que na vida real você iria querer ser melhor amigo de ambos. Por mais que o casal seja perfeito, a trama no geral não correspondeu as minhas expectativas, faltou algo, além claro do mistério que eu não curti e ocupa tempo demais na trama, senti que faltou um 'quê' a mais para me envolver na trama 😢

[Mafe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Empezó muy bien la historia y el romance entre Gideon y Julianne, pero siento que después de la mitad empezó a decaer bastante la trama. No me gustó que Gideon no le demostrara lo suficiente el amor que profería sentir a la protagonista; me dió la impresión que lo resolvieron todo al final del libro.

No fue para nada de mi agrado el personaje de Emily la sentí muy clasista y tenía muchos perjuicios hacia Logan.

Calificación final: 3.7 🌟

[Laura De la Quintana · Rating 3 out of 5]

En mi opinión hasta ahora es el más flojo de los 3, a mi no me gustó tanto como los dos anteriores, me costó mucho terminarlo, y no se si ya es que la escritora no cambia la trama y todo gira en los robos y asesinatos y a mi ese tema no me gusta, no se me falto algo al final, la reacción de los padres, su nueva vida como "plebeya" esas cosas me hubiese gustado leer pero bueno, aún así me sigue gustando la amistad de las 4 y venero a Sarah, esa si que es una buena amiga

[Ana María · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acabo de encontrar una novela de verdad romántica: ella lo deja todo por amor, títulos, herencia, dote, hasta es despreciada por la sociedad, excepto un par de amigas!!!

Todo por un apuesto detective de Bow Street.

No digo que el muchacho no tenga para pagar las facturas , porque tiene casa y trabajo, pero ella se acomoda a una vida mucho más modesta.

[Jimena Bermolen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tercer libro de la serie "sociedad de damas litararias de Londres", hasta acá el más tierno de todos.
La serie combina misterio, literatura y romance de manera exquisita. En esta serie se aborda el tema del linaje y la diferencia de clases.
Juliane y Gideon se aman desde el momento que se conocen; pero un detective de Bow Street no puede aspirar a la hija de un conde, o si?.

[Readery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long story short, the relationship between the characters made the book, the other elements were not very interesting, even the ghost theme.

I did get a little frustrated by the buildup of the tension, and i mean both story tension AND the characters' sexual tension.