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A Touch of Sin for the Elusive Duke

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Still haunted by the loss of her mother, Lady Alicia Balfour has resigned herself to spinsterhood.

Finding solace only in the company of her friend, Lady Clarissa, she wears a mask to conceal her pain. Until the night of a Masquerade ball, where her mask completely shatters under the heated gaze of a Duke.

Conor Carter, Duke of Quisenbury, wears the mantle of the rake to keep people from getting too close. Solely focused on running his father’s business, marriage is the last thing on his mind. When a ball finds him kissing an alluring masked lady in the gardens, he vows to find her and claim her whole.

The announcement of Alicia's impending nuptials to someone else tests the limits of their desire to be together. Eyes seem to follow their every move; friendly eyes that promise damnation. A gunshot shatters the silence of the night, and Alicia wails when she sees exactly who's standing over Conor's body...

444 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 12, 2020

177 people are currently reading
27 people want to read

About the author

Scarlett Osborne

96 books78 followers
Born in the Sunshine State of Florida, but of both British and Nordic descent, Scarlett Osborne grew up reading historical romances from the land of her ancestors. Fascinated with the British society of the 1800s and armed with a wild imagination, she obtained a degree in Creative Writing and immediately started her career as a Regency romance author.

A daydreamer extraordinaire, Scarlett likes to jump in the shoes of her heroines, immersing herself in her own stories, living the adventures that she wished she had experienced as a child. An avid reader and fan of the outdoors, Scarlett spends her free time either reading or going on long horseback rides along with her two sons.

Get lost in a land of enchantment, where adventure and love await around every corner...Scarlett hopes that through her heroes, you too will get to live a whirlwind romance in the Regency era, when fairytales were real and all dreams possible!

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5 stars
52 (49%)
4 stars
29 (27%)
3 stars
18 (16%)
2 stars
4 (3%)
1 star
3 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews128 followers
Want to read
July 15, 2020
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/15/2020)! 🎁
Profile Image for Tam.
2,179 reviews54 followers
July 15, 2020
Oh-so-deliciously-steamy with likable characters and an interesting plot that kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. Enjoyed every minute of it!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
Profile Image for Letschat1974.
821 reviews10 followers
July 17, 2020
3 Stars...this is my first book by the writer, It’s a PG book in my opinion.

This book is worth a read but didn’t really have me excited about interacting with the book where I could not put it down (skimmed through parts of the book). It lacks the excitement and well roundness of my personal markers for a great read throughout the book.

There was a lack of development and interest in main characters. I enjoyed the secondary characters.

There were a handful of humorous scenes but nothing that stuck out.

I found the movement of the book ‘choppy at times’ especially around the story telling overall.

The writing /conversation of the book was not the style that gets me engaged and partner with the books characters to enjoy this book past a first read. There was WAY too much ‘My Lady My Lord’ which threw me off completely because it was on every page...close positive relationships with friends/family should be able to use the first name without MY LADY MY LORD...drove me nuts.

There are romantic/sexual content in the book nothing written in detail...i would give this 1/5 for hotness and steam.

Read this book once and that is enough for me.

I wouldn’t cross the author out of my potential reads in the future as I have no problem reading authors that I would rate a consistent 3 stars.
8 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2020
I love Ms. Osborne’s heroes and Conor is no exception! His and Alicia’s story wasn’t the typical “in love with her brother’s best friend” plot. I liked that she was determined to have her man. A little spicy,but not graphic. Got our HEA. The only thing that was puzzling was the mention in the blurb of a gunshot and someone standing over Conor’s body There wasn’t anything like that in the story. Maybe it was edited after the blurb. Enjoyed this story!
Profile Image for Kaye.
7,177 reviews71 followers
July 14, 2020
ONE JAW DROPPING SIZZLER!!!
Wipe out! Scarlett called the mark, counted the paces and fired the shot, ratcheting up the heat and laying out the magic, wrapping this baby up sleek shiny and tight. Crashing walls and expanding boundaries, laying out one action packed, hard hitting, pulse racing, heart pounding, adrenaline pumping, page flipping, block buster, blasting this jewel to life brilliantly. Toss in drama, intrigue, turmoil, danger, spiraling suspense and perplexing situations along with a boatload of trouble, you have one jaw dropping adventure. Shenanigans, escapades and havoc run amuck, blowing this baby into the eye of the storm, kicking it into a frenzy with an astonishing culmination. The attraction and chemistry builds as each layer is peeled back exposing thrilling emotions and a growing bond, binding them to one another perfectly. The characters are complex and genuine with traits and qualities that add depth and diversity, transforming into charismatic personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions that feel as though you were transported to ground zero with them. Remarkable job Scarlett, thanks for sharing this little guy with us.
Profile Image for Space Cowgirl.
4,133 reviews145 followers
July 25, 2020
Scars💔 More Than Skin Deep

ADULT Historical Regency England Romance💕 with Betrayal💔.

Lady Alicia💃💔 is still in a depression three years after she and her mother are involved in a carriage wreck 🐎🐎🚞that kills her mother👵. No seat belts in those days! The wreck took away Alicia's beloved mother👵 and Her confidence.

Her father, a Duke, and her brother, Francis, finally insist she return to society to find a husband, but she wants only one man, Her brother's good friend, Conor🐺🍆⛲, now Duke of Quisenbury.

Alicia💃💋 fears she is still just her brother's little sister in Conor's🐺🍆⛲ eyes, but a masquerade🎭 ball allows her to flirt and finally kiss💋 him! All in secret, she thinks, but Conor🐺🍆⛲ sees the scar on her neck from the carriage wreck....

ARC Provided by Bookfunnel 🌀
I also got this ebook with KU.

Their are a number of historical inaccuracies in the book, mostly items that weren't invented yet or were not in common use. Also the parts where Alicia💃💋 didn't have a chaperone were remiss but necessary for the plot. It's an Interesting book that kept me infatuated all the way through!
Profile Image for Emma.
2,864 reviews39 followers
July 22, 2020
I loved this story. Friends to lovers. Conor's character was noble, kind, loving; he is incredibly dedicated to do his best for the dukedom. However, Alicia's character could use a little tweaking. The first half of the book her thoughts and emotions more resembled that of a teenager than a twenty-year-old. I found it annoying. Then the story takes a little turn and she blossoms into a sensitive, loving, mature young woman. I found I liked her much better than before. Alicia may have been stunted by the death of her mother. The grief was nearly her undoing. But that was not the end of her unhappiness. The only sliver of hope she held was with Conor. But things were near impossible for them to be together. When danger enshrouded Alicia, Conor did all in his power to make sure she came through it alive. I was totally shocked by the reveal at the end of the story. I did not see it coming the way it did. I enjoyed the rest of the book through the extended epilogue. I just wished I knew what she ended up with in her second pregnancy. Boy or Girl. This is a decent read. A good story.
762 reviews2 followers
November 27, 2022
Alicia and Donor finally together

They went through many obstacles to be together. First her betrothal to the Earl who only wanted to use her to pay off his gambling debts. Then the betrayal of her friend Lady Clarissa and her cousin Lord Warwick who kidnapped her for ransom. Finally getting her father to agree to give his blessing to the union. Now they ate happily married. Hopefully her brother Francis comes around to accept his best friend married to his sister.
390 reviews2 followers
July 20, 2020
Scarlett had another good storyline. After many twists and turns, will they get their HEA? I would recommend this book to anyone over 18 due to some steaminess. I received this Arc in exchange for a voluntary honest review which I have freely written here
160 reviews
September 2, 2020
A perfect page turner. Conor joins the military to get away from his Father but remains friends with Francis. It takes a masquerade ball for Lady Alicia to show her feelings to the Duke of Quisenbury and then she runs off. The challenges make this a non stop recommended read.
4,896 reviews8 followers
August 2, 2020
Romance

Thank you for sharing these wonderful romance novels series books. Please keep writing more of these wonderful books. Thank you
Profile Image for Heather Cowan.
21 reviews
March 25, 2022
Not really steamy!

The main female character is a weak, fountain of constant tears. The editing is so bad I gave wanting to correct it.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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