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A Winter with the Rakish Duke
A virginal wallflower is trapped with the rakish Duke… Lady Eloise Brooks has never known what it means to be loved. Until she’s dragged to a masquerade ball and finds herself kissing a masked man senseless. Determined to uncover his identity, she’s forced to make a deal with the devil: the rakish Duke Simon. She must spend five nights with him in exchange for his help. Cold, rakish, and ruthless, Simon Comeford, the Duke of Richmond, is notorious throughout the whole of England. Behind his mask is a dark past, one he refuses to reveal to anyone. After he kisses an innocent woman during a masquerade ball, he feels conflicted and confused. And when a virginal wallflower finds herself trapped in his castle, he believes something is awfully familiar about her... Their steamy encounters are enough to awaken an unspoken desire inside each of them. But as the days close in, Simon must confront his traumatic past before Eloise is forced to face her inevitable future. Before they lose each other forever…
Each book in the Dukes of Danger series is a standalone story.
Each book in the Dukes of Danger series is a standalone story.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2022
198 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 7, 2022
2.75 Stars
When you randomly go through your TBR, sometimes you find gold, and sometimes you find dirt. This one was something in between.
Quick Review
- This is my first Tessa Brookman book, and it was fine.
- The plot was fine, the characters were fine, the romance was fine, the chemistry was a little less than fine. Add to that too much drama, a twisted Cinderella-like flavour, but not quite, and a couple of loose threads.
- I wasn't bored enough to drop it, but I was impatient for it to be over. This is my roundabout way of saying it was too long.
- The biggest problem was the writing style. It was way too abrupt for my taste. It also had continuity errors (a scene began somewhere, but it ended up somewhere else, same with the conversations between the characters, and I have no clue how either of them landed where they did). There were also plenty of modern slang words/phrases.
- Overall, it felt like a contemporary romance masquerading as a historical one. The weird thing is it would have been a great contemporary romance.
When you randomly go through your TBR, sometimes you find gold, and sometimes you find dirt. This one was something in between.
Quick Review
- This is my first Tessa Brookman book, and it was fine.
- The plot was fine, the characters were fine, the romance was fine, the chemistry was a little less than fine. Add to that too much drama, a twisted Cinderella-like flavour, but not quite, and a couple of loose threads.
- I wasn't bored enough to drop it, but I was impatient for it to be over. This is my roundabout way of saying it was too long.
- The biggest problem was the writing style. It was way too abrupt for my taste. It also had continuity errors (a scene began somewhere, but it ended up somewhere else, same with the conversations between the characters, and I have no clue how either of them landed where they did). There were also plenty of modern slang words/phrases.
- Overall, it felt like a contemporary romance masquerading as a historical one. The weird thing is it would have been a great contemporary romance.
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April 9, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/9/2022)! 🎁
February 25, 2022
Absolutely an awesome love story!
This story is absolutely an amazing journey to a beautiful happy ending. I loved the characters with all their mischief and mystery. They’re just absolutely amazing and bring the story to life. I truly enjoyed reading this amazing book as I couldn’t put it down until the the end. It is full of adventure and mystery and steamy episodes. Exciting to the end of the book. Definitely a must read. The extended epilogue gives it an interesting and entertaining ending. Excellent writing!
This story is absolutely an amazing journey to a beautiful happy ending. I loved the characters with all their mischief and mystery. They’re just absolutely amazing and bring the story to life. I truly enjoyed reading this amazing book as I couldn’t put it down until the the end. It is full of adventure and mystery and steamy episodes. Exciting to the end of the book. Definitely a must read. The extended epilogue gives it an interesting and entertaining ending. Excellent writing!
January 20, 2024
I can count on one hand the times I’ve made this statement: this book is dreadful. I generally stay away from stinkers, but this one drew me in because it contains a fine idea for a plot. It’s the Cinderella story with a fresh spin.
A handsome (of course), disgruntled (sure), rakish (well, naturally) duke is terribly inconvenienced by a dinner guest who arrives ahead of a nasty Sussex winter storm…which lasts for a week, perhaps a bit longer. The storyline is fun. A sweet young wallflower arrives at a castle that is way overstaffed with good natured servants who befriend the young miss. She is terribly self-effacing and meek to the point of near invisibility, but here in the castle she captures the duke’s attention…and libido. What follows is the path to sex and misunderstandings, more sex, and a huge misunderstanding doubled down. And an HEA.
So much potential—huge potential—in this storyline, but the book does not live up to its possibilities. First, there are so many errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and research into the time period that it becomes unbearable to read. The poor reader is removed from the story many times by these egregious mistakes and is made to slog through words that seem to have been thrown on the page higgledy-piggledy, without a lot of thought. Too often it feels as if the writer has literally tossed words onto a page to get rid of them; they do not always make sense. The book needs ruthless editing, followed by a healthy plunge into proofreading.
Next, there’s way too much verbiage. The book could have been cut by a hundred or more pages. I found at the 48% completion mark that I could speedread and not miss much. At the 70% completion mark, I started skipping paragraphs and then whole pages. I didn’t miss anything except more errors.
Here are some examples of the problems. There are more, but this review would be way too long if they were all included (not to mention those I didn’t see while in uber-speedreading mode):
Incorrect or odd word choices:
“…she fell paralyzed….” She didn’t fall, but “…she felt paralyzed….”
“…he pricked his lips to her forehead.” How does one prick one’s lips to another’s forehead? He could have puckered his lips, pursed his lips, or better yet, pressed his lips. I believe this last phrase is what the writer meant: “…he pressed his lips to her forehead.”
“I think someone saw up.” This should be, “I think someone saw us.”
“His lips now hugged to her shoulders….” This reads like a bundle of words tossed together. The image of lips hugging to someone’s shoulders is an odd one. Maybe, “His lips now reached her shoulders….” I’m not sure what the writer means here.
“Sensing her unconfidence….” No such word, and spellchecker veritably screams with annoyance when it is typed. Our heroine could be feeling doubt, fear, insecurity, uncertainty, timidity—all good words to select from.
“In leery silence, she followed the maid….” While not an error, it is an odd choice of words. A person can be leery (cautious, wary, dubious), but the silence? It makes a reader leave the story and pause.
The duke, Simon, is showing his guest, Eloise, the horses in his stables. He’s guided Anabelle, a Shire mare, out of her enclosure and “helped adjust her.” What does this mean? A few sentences later, the mare suddenly sports a saddle. Perhaps the writer means that he “helped saddle her?” Unknown.
“…he guided Eloise behind the front legs [of Anabelle]….” Really? Behind the front legs would be under the horse’s belly. Perhaps the writer means, “…he guided Eloise to the Shire’s front legs…” but I’m guessing.
“…even when she treated him with especially cruelty.” The word, “especially,” is an adverb and adverbs do not modify nouns. If the writer wishes to modify “cruelty,” then she needs an adjective. Or better yet just leave a modifier out: “…even when she treated him with cruelty.” That sounds—and reads—much better.
“…less distracted than her….” should be “…less distracted than she….” Here’s why: 18th century grammarians believed that the word, “than,” could only be a conjunction whose purpose is to join clauses, in this case a main clause ([Simon was] less distracted) to a subordinate clause (she was, where the verb, “was,” is assumed). Modern speech allows “than” to be a preposition and in this case, using the pronoun, “me,” is fine. However, it’s 1814, and the conjunction rule still holds.
“…with linens folded in their arms. They placed it next to Simon on the bed….” The linens (plural) are being placed on the bed; they should be referred to as “them,” not “it,” as in, “…placed them next to Simon….”
“Only after him and I had a little chat.” This is the duke speaking. Educated at Oxford, I doubt he’d make this kind of grammatical mistake. It should read, “Only after he and I had a little chat” or simply “Only after we had a little chat.”
There are punctuation errors:
“…vastly intimidating Castle.” The word, “castle,” does not require capitalization unless it is part of a title. This should read, “…vastly intimidating castle.”
“I’m afraid your Aunt left a while ago.” The word, “aunt,” is not capitalized unless it is used as a form of address as in, “Hello, Aunt Sally.” Here, it should read, “I’m afraid your aunt left….”
“…for God-knows how long….” There is no hyphen between God and knows. This should be, “…for God knows how long….”
“Another circus trick I imagine?” she breathed, “okay, Simon….” Several things here. A period should appear after “breathed,” and the next word, “okay,” should be capitalized, like this: “Another circus trick I imagine?” she breathed. “Okay, Simon….”
Also, the writer uses a lot of “okays” in the book. It was used as a slang fad in New York and Boston in 1838-9. This story takes place in December 1814 and the word would not be bantered about in speech.
“…arriving with the County’s doctor….” The word, County, does not need capitalization. It should read, “…arriving with the county’s doctor….”
“…removing his Pince-Nez.” Pince-nez is not capitalized. It should read, “…removing his pince-nez.”
“…laboring away at the Game Larder….” The game larder is an outbuilding where carcasses are stored; it is not capitalized. The writer uses the term later without capitalization.
The story requires a reader to suspend disbelief too often. Too many scenes are nonsensical. For instance, in chapter 1, issues begin:
Eloise and her family are supposed to attend a dinner at the duke’s castle in Sussex. They are in London. In 1814 it is not a quick dinnertime jaunt between London and Sussex. Depending on precise locations, it’s between 50 and 100 miles. Driving it today takes one to three hours. Back then, it would’ve taken much longer.
Eloise is left behind by her aunt and cousins when they travel to Sussex for dinner (sic). They just up and leave her. Her uncle leaves his sick bed to escort her in the “spare carriage” to Sussex where he simply drops her off at the “front of a vastly intimidating castle.” The uncle and carriage “rode away, and she [Eloise] remained…facing the intimidating front gates of the castle.” Good heavens. An uncle would never leave his niece outside the gates of a castle to somehow make her way in, certainly not in 1814.
At the castle, where a dinner is supposed to be in progress, the maid who answers the door is perplexed to see someone standing there. She scurries off to “find out what is happening.” She would have known about a dinner party that was scheduled for that night.
Eloise snubs her nose at Little Women (Alcott’s classic, first published in September 1868), and at a torn copy of Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland (first published in July 1865). These books would not have been around in 1814.
The maid returns to tell Eloise that food is waiting in the dining room. The maid also tells Eloise, “I’m afraid your aunt left a while ago. And with the blizzard outside…you may have to stay the night.” Uh-huh. Why does this sound like a farmer’s daughter joke?
There are a LOT of scenes that become unbelievable. Here’s another, taking place in a huge stable and the scene appears to have been written by someone who might be horse-crazy (nothing wrong with this) but not horse-savvy:
Simon takes Eloise to his stables to see his Shire horses. First of all, they go out in the cold and icy snow without a wrap. She has a shawl, but he’s wrapped it around her eyes to surprise her with the stallion barn. The entire scene is bizarre, from the number of horses (dozens, that looked like hundreds) to Eloise trotting along on a Shire’s back when she hasn’t ridden since she was 3 (she’s now 25 years old). So….
What is a long-winged corridor? The words don’t make sense. Does it mean the corridor has long wings leading away from it? That’s not in keeping with how the stables were initially described. Next, Anabelle is a mare. Here she’s referred to as an “it,” and later she becomes a “she.” Still later she turns into “the stallion.”
There is a laughable sex scene where Eloise apparently loses her virginity to Simon. I say apparently because it’s not like any deflowering ought to be. It occurs on the edge of a pool table in impossible positions, standing up, and poor Eloise bent back over the edge like a pretzel (“…she was so arched, her back hurt….”). On top of all this discomfort, the duke assures Eloise, “I promise, it won’t hurt.” Oh yes it will, if she’s a virgin. Not to mention the impossible position he’s placed her in for his own jollies.
There is another scene where Eloise runs outside in a blizzard without coat, scarf, shoes (only slippers, presumably) in order to find Walter, the man who is a stableboy, to tell him that she doesn’t need to go home. Contrived reasoning, anyone? She finds him in the snow, tries to rescue him (she’s petit) and in turn has a branch fall on her, giving her a head wound and she’s left to freeze. The chapters dedicated to outlining every breath she took during her recovery, every thought Simon had, every visit from every servant are so easy to skip through. And it’s best to skip them because the entire process of thawing out through recovery is dross. Pure dross.
There’s an HEA, of course, and it is definitely earned considering all the heroine has had to go through to get there. However, while there is a lot of sex between the duke and Eloise, it seems simply required. It is not erotic. There’s little chemistry between them. We have a wastrel for a duke and a self-doubting missish guest who manage to have sex. He is virile, she is a voyager on his sexual jaunts. Neither has much personality; they are both dull. Walter, the stableboy-man, Finella (a maid), and Gregory (a fellow worker and her beau) are the most interesting characters in the bunch.
I rated this book 1 star because of all the errors that halted the reader mid-story, and because of all the unbelievable scenes that kept going on and on and on. I loved the idea of the book. It is an appealing spin on Cinderella. It reads like a fairy tale with sex. Impossibilities occur, like getting from London to Sussex in the length of time it takes to have a conversation. To read this book, a reader must ignore the laws of physics (speed and gravity, for instance). The book needs a ruthless edit followed by a plunge into proofreading. It’s got the bones of a good story. But right now, it feels like a draft, not a finished product. I’ll wager that this little review was edited more diligently than the book.
A handsome (of course), disgruntled (sure), rakish (well, naturally) duke is terribly inconvenienced by a dinner guest who arrives ahead of a nasty Sussex winter storm…which lasts for a week, perhaps a bit longer. The storyline is fun. A sweet young wallflower arrives at a castle that is way overstaffed with good natured servants who befriend the young miss. She is terribly self-effacing and meek to the point of near invisibility, but here in the castle she captures the duke’s attention…and libido. What follows is the path to sex and misunderstandings, more sex, and a huge misunderstanding doubled down. And an HEA.
So much potential—huge potential—in this storyline, but the book does not live up to its possibilities. First, there are so many errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and research into the time period that it becomes unbearable to read. The poor reader is removed from the story many times by these egregious mistakes and is made to slog through words that seem to have been thrown on the page higgledy-piggledy, without a lot of thought. Too often it feels as if the writer has literally tossed words onto a page to get rid of them; they do not always make sense. The book needs ruthless editing, followed by a healthy plunge into proofreading.
Next, there’s way too much verbiage. The book could have been cut by a hundred or more pages. I found at the 48% completion mark that I could speedread and not miss much. At the 70% completion mark, I started skipping paragraphs and then whole pages. I didn’t miss anything except more errors.
Here are some examples of the problems. There are more, but this review would be way too long if they were all included (not to mention those I didn’t see while in uber-speedreading mode):
Incorrect or odd word choices:
“…she fell paralyzed….” She didn’t fall, but “…she felt paralyzed….”
“…he pricked his lips to her forehead.” How does one prick one’s lips to another’s forehead? He could have puckered his lips, pursed his lips, or better yet, pressed his lips. I believe this last phrase is what the writer meant: “…he pressed his lips to her forehead.”
“I think someone saw up.” This should be, “I think someone saw us.”
“His lips now hugged to her shoulders….” This reads like a bundle of words tossed together. The image of lips hugging to someone’s shoulders is an odd one. Maybe, “His lips now reached her shoulders….” I’m not sure what the writer means here.
“Sensing her unconfidence….” No such word, and spellchecker veritably screams with annoyance when it is typed. Our heroine could be feeling doubt, fear, insecurity, uncertainty, timidity—all good words to select from.
“In leery silence, she followed the maid….” While not an error, it is an odd choice of words. A person can be leery (cautious, wary, dubious), but the silence? It makes a reader leave the story and pause.
The duke, Simon, is showing his guest, Eloise, the horses in his stables. He’s guided Anabelle, a Shire mare, out of her enclosure and “helped adjust her.” What does this mean? A few sentences later, the mare suddenly sports a saddle. Perhaps the writer means that he “helped saddle her?” Unknown.
“…he guided Eloise behind the front legs [of Anabelle]….” Really? Behind the front legs would be under the horse’s belly. Perhaps the writer means, “…he guided Eloise to the Shire’s front legs…” but I’m guessing.
“…even when she treated him with especially cruelty.” The word, “especially,” is an adverb and adverbs do not modify nouns. If the writer wishes to modify “cruelty,” then she needs an adjective. Or better yet just leave a modifier out: “…even when she treated him with cruelty.” That sounds—and reads—much better.
“…less distracted than her….” should be “…less distracted than she….” Here’s why: 18th century grammarians believed that the word, “than,” could only be a conjunction whose purpose is to join clauses, in this case a main clause ([Simon was] less distracted) to a subordinate clause (she was, where the verb, “was,” is assumed). Modern speech allows “than” to be a preposition and in this case, using the pronoun, “me,” is fine. However, it’s 1814, and the conjunction rule still holds.
“…with linens folded in their arms. They placed it next to Simon on the bed….” The linens (plural) are being placed on the bed; they should be referred to as “them,” not “it,” as in, “…placed them next to Simon….”
“Only after him and I had a little chat.” This is the duke speaking. Educated at Oxford, I doubt he’d make this kind of grammatical mistake. It should read, “Only after he and I had a little chat” or simply “Only after we had a little chat.”
There are punctuation errors:
“…vastly intimidating Castle.” The word, “castle,” does not require capitalization unless it is part of a title. This should read, “…vastly intimidating castle.”
“I’m afraid your Aunt left a while ago.” The word, “aunt,” is not capitalized unless it is used as a form of address as in, “Hello, Aunt Sally.” Here, it should read, “I’m afraid your aunt left….”
“…for God-knows how long….” There is no hyphen between God and knows. This should be, “…for God knows how long….”
“Another circus trick I imagine?” she breathed, “okay, Simon….” Several things here. A period should appear after “breathed,” and the next word, “okay,” should be capitalized, like this: “Another circus trick I imagine?” she breathed. “Okay, Simon….”
Also, the writer uses a lot of “okays” in the book. It was used as a slang fad in New York and Boston in 1838-9. This story takes place in December 1814 and the word would not be bantered about in speech.
“…arriving with the County’s doctor….” The word, County, does not need capitalization. It should read, “…arriving with the county’s doctor….”
“…removing his Pince-Nez.” Pince-nez is not capitalized. It should read, “…removing his pince-nez.”
“…laboring away at the Game Larder….” The game larder is an outbuilding where carcasses are stored; it is not capitalized. The writer uses the term later without capitalization.
The story requires a reader to suspend disbelief too often. Too many scenes are nonsensical. For instance, in chapter 1, issues begin:
Eloise and her family are supposed to attend a dinner at the duke’s castle in Sussex. They are in London. In 1814 it is not a quick dinnertime jaunt between London and Sussex. Depending on precise locations, it’s between 50 and 100 miles. Driving it today takes one to three hours. Back then, it would’ve taken much longer.
Eloise is left behind by her aunt and cousins when they travel to Sussex for dinner (sic). They just up and leave her. Her uncle leaves his sick bed to escort her in the “spare carriage” to Sussex where he simply drops her off at the “front of a vastly intimidating castle.” The uncle and carriage “rode away, and she [Eloise] remained…facing the intimidating front gates of the castle.” Good heavens. An uncle would never leave his niece outside the gates of a castle to somehow make her way in, certainly not in 1814.
At the castle, where a dinner is supposed to be in progress, the maid who answers the door is perplexed to see someone standing there. She scurries off to “find out what is happening.” She would have known about a dinner party that was scheduled for that night.
Eloise snubs her nose at Little Women (Alcott’s classic, first published in September 1868), and at a torn copy of Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland (first published in July 1865). These books would not have been around in 1814.
The maid returns to tell Eloise that food is waiting in the dining room. The maid also tells Eloise, “I’m afraid your aunt left a while ago. And with the blizzard outside…you may have to stay the night.” Uh-huh. Why does this sound like a farmer’s daughter joke?
There are a LOT of scenes that become unbelievable. Here’s another, taking place in a huge stable and the scene appears to have been written by someone who might be horse-crazy (nothing wrong with this) but not horse-savvy:
Simon takes Eloise to his stables to see his Shire horses. First of all, they go out in the cold and icy snow without a wrap. She has a shawl, but he’s wrapped it around her eyes to surprise her with the stallion barn. The entire scene is bizarre, from the number of horses (dozens, that looked like hundreds) to Eloise trotting along on a Shire’s back when she hasn’t ridden since she was 3 (she’s now 25 years old). So….
He guided Anabelle, the patient and old mare, outside of the spacious enclosure and helped adjust her in the long-winged corridor. It seemed confused. But as he whispered encouraging words to it, the horse calmed….
What is a long-winged corridor? The words don’t make sense. Does it mean the corridor has long wings leading away from it? That’s not in keeping with how the stables were initially described. Next, Anabelle is a mare. Here she’s referred to as an “it,” and later she becomes a “she.” Still later she turns into “the stallion.”
There is a laughable sex scene where Eloise apparently loses her virginity to Simon. I say apparently because it’s not like any deflowering ought to be. It occurs on the edge of a pool table in impossible positions, standing up, and poor Eloise bent back over the edge like a pretzel (“…she was so arched, her back hurt….”). On top of all this discomfort, the duke assures Eloise, “I promise, it won’t hurt.” Oh yes it will, if she’s a virgin. Not to mention the impossible position he’s placed her in for his own jollies.
There is another scene where Eloise runs outside in a blizzard without coat, scarf, shoes (only slippers, presumably) in order to find Walter, the man who is a stableboy, to tell him that she doesn’t need to go home. Contrived reasoning, anyone? She finds him in the snow, tries to rescue him (she’s petit) and in turn has a branch fall on her, giving her a head wound and she’s left to freeze. The chapters dedicated to outlining every breath she took during her recovery, every thought Simon had, every visit from every servant are so easy to skip through. And it’s best to skip them because the entire process of thawing out through recovery is dross. Pure dross.
There’s an HEA, of course, and it is definitely earned considering all the heroine has had to go through to get there. However, while there is a lot of sex between the duke and Eloise, it seems simply required. It is not erotic. There’s little chemistry between them. We have a wastrel for a duke and a self-doubting missish guest who manage to have sex. He is virile, she is a voyager on his sexual jaunts. Neither has much personality; they are both dull. Walter, the stableboy-man, Finella (a maid), and Gregory (a fellow worker and her beau) are the most interesting characters in the bunch.
I rated this book 1 star because of all the errors that halted the reader mid-story, and because of all the unbelievable scenes that kept going on and on and on. I loved the idea of the book. It is an appealing spin on Cinderella. It reads like a fairy tale with sex. Impossibilities occur, like getting from London to Sussex in the length of time it takes to have a conversation. To read this book, a reader must ignore the laws of physics (speed and gravity, for instance). The book needs a ruthless edit followed by a plunge into proofreading. It’s got the bones of a good story. But right now, it feels like a draft, not a finished product. I’ll wager that this little review was edited more diligently than the book.
May 30, 2022
This was my second book by this author, the first I didn’t like as the historical research was practically nil! But I gave her another chance, and my first instinct was right - no real idea of the historical context. I think my heart finally sank when the heroine goes into the hero’s library - remember this book was set in 1814 - and picked up two books. One was Little Women, which was published in 1868 - 1869, the other was Alice in Wonderland which was published in 1871! Did the hero have a time machine perhaps? It takes minutes to check this stuff online, so lazy. Also, I hated the amount of occasions when a character said ‘okay’. A word that was first used in a Boston newspaper in 1839! The plot itself was quite hackneyed, and the hero got on my nerves. I won’t be giving this author a third chance.
February 11, 2022
Who was the lady’s masked man?
I really liked this story Eloise is not treated well by her cousin Felicity in any fashion. That is not her only problem no life has been rather nasty from the lost of her parents to a horrible debut. Then when things took a nose dive she meets a masked man, after that things turn very interesting. I liked Simon he needed to get his act together but he was so much better than James. Lovely steam in this well written piece I am so glad I added to my library.
I really liked this story Eloise is not treated well by her cousin Felicity in any fashion. That is not her only problem no life has been rather nasty from the lost of her parents to a horrible debut. Then when things took a nose dive she meets a masked man, after that things turn very interesting. I liked Simon he needed to get his act together but he was so much better than James. Lovely steam in this well written piece I am so glad I added to my library.
February 14, 2022
The Dissolute Duke🐺🍆⛲
ADULT Regency Romance 💕and Winter Adventure
Simon🐺🍆⛲, A lonely, arrogant and standoffish Rake of a Duke, finds true love💘 in Eloise💃💋, but thinks he is the cause of her health problems and near death from hypothermia. So he tries to distance himself from her in a vain attempt to keep her safe.
ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱
I also got this ebook from Amazon 📚with KU.
Interesting ADULT book with many pitfalls and accidents throughout. HEA , of course.
ADULT Regency Romance 💕and Winter Adventure
Simon🐺🍆⛲, A lonely, arrogant and standoffish Rake of a Duke, finds true love💘 in Eloise💃💋, but thinks he is the cause of her health problems and near death from hypothermia. So he tries to distance himself from her in a vain attempt to keep her safe.
ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱
I also got this ebook from Amazon 📚with KU.
Interesting ADULT book with many pitfalls and accidents throughout. HEA , of course.
February 16, 2022
Epilogues Are The Best
Talk about having a lot of fun cat & mouse games! But the ugliness of certain family members are just ugh! Some people, you know?!? Overall, this was a good read with epilogues that make the HEA even better! %-D On to the next! #HappyReading ♥
I received an Advanced Reading Copy from the Author for an honest review.
Talk about having a lot of fun cat & mouse games! But the ugliness of certain family members are just ugh! Some people, you know?!? Overall, this was a good read with epilogues that make the HEA even better! %-D On to the next! #HappyReading ♥
I received an Advanced Reading Copy from the Author for an honest review.
July 28, 2024
It was romantic and sensual but slow. It definitely needed an editor.
I enjoyed this story but I have read better stories from this author. This book seemed a little darker and sensual than what she has written in the past. However, being part of a series her books change in sensuality. ( Interaction and intimacy between the characters can be light and minimal to intense and explicit) For those interested there was for a foreplay scene in bed before marriage and a lovemaking scene before marriage. A little explicit, but certainly not erotica. Alistair was definitely a thoughtless rake, but not cruel. Eloise should have been a bit more circumspect in her behavior towards Alistair, given the circumstances.
This story seemed to drag during her time at the castle and could have been a little tighter. There should have been more background detail on the why Eloise was treated by her family as such. I would have like more interaction between James and Eloise at the beginning to better understanding of his character. The one thing I hate about characters and secrets is how long it took for the characters and readers to find out and this book was no exception. Eloise’s story and her identity should have come out sooner to Alistair. I would rather have had one or two more chapters after she leaves the castle and see how she interacts with her family and James. Finally, three star rating is for her use of modern vernacular. Using the word kids instead of children or date instead of outing was annoying.
I would have lot more respect for the author if she did because I don’t think Ms Bookman does for her readers. I read this on a Kindle, if I don’t know a word I can highlight it and read the definition. Ms. Bookman if you should read this review please consider changing your diction. I believe you would have more readers if you did.
I did buy this entire series after reading your other books and I will continue to read them and enjoy and post my reviews. 🙂
I enjoyed this story but I have read better stories from this author. This book seemed a little darker and sensual than what she has written in the past. However, being part of a series her books change in sensuality. ( Interaction and intimacy between the characters can be light and minimal to intense and explicit) For those interested there was for a foreplay scene in bed before marriage and a lovemaking scene before marriage. A little explicit, but certainly not erotica. Alistair was definitely a thoughtless rake, but not cruel. Eloise should have been a bit more circumspect in her behavior towards Alistair, given the circumstances.
This story seemed to drag during her time at the castle and could have been a little tighter. There should have been more background detail on the why Eloise was treated by her family as such. I would have like more interaction between James and Eloise at the beginning to better understanding of his character. The one thing I hate about characters and secrets is how long it took for the characters and readers to find out and this book was no exception. Eloise’s story and her identity should have come out sooner to Alistair. I would rather have had one or two more chapters after she leaves the castle and see how she interacts with her family and James. Finally, three star rating is for her use of modern vernacular. Using the word kids instead of children or date instead of outing was annoying.
I would have lot more respect for the author if she did because I don’t think Ms Bookman does for her readers. I read this on a Kindle, if I don’t know a word I can highlight it and read the definition. Ms. Bookman if you should read this review please consider changing your diction. I believe you would have more readers if you did.
I did buy this entire series after reading your other books and I will continue to read them and enjoy and post my reviews. 🙂
March 3, 2022
No one is what they seem!
The Duke of Richmond is rebound as the rake hell of London! Eloise is the niece of a Baron and is overlooked buy her aunt, only want her gone so her daughters can shine. Was supposed to go to the Duke’s house for dinner but, go without her so uncle takes her and leaves. Aunt and daughters left because of a storm and she stays for several days! The story is terrific!
The Duke of Richmond is rebound as the rake hell of London! Eloise is the niece of a Baron and is overlooked buy her aunt, only want her gone so her daughters can shine. Was supposed to go to the Duke’s house for dinner but, go without her so uncle takes her and leaves. Aunt and daughters left because of a storm and she stays for several days! The story is terrific!
January 5, 2023
Unexpected Love
Simon was at a masked ball only kind he would go to. Eloise was at it also she wanted to meet with the man she was going to marry. She went searching for him, she heard his voice she opened the door. James was in another woman arms. She ran out and trying to find place to hide, she entered the garden that's where she ran into the masked man.
Simon couldn't for get the woman that kissed him. Eloise couldn't forget the masked man.
Simon was at a masked ball only kind he would go to. Eloise was at it also she wanted to meet with the man she was going to marry. She went searching for him, she heard his voice she opened the door. James was in another woman arms. She ran out and trying to find place to hide, she entered the garden that's where she ran into the masked man.
Simon couldn't for get the woman that kissed him. Eloise couldn't forget the masked man.
July 12, 2023
long in the tooth
First time reading this author… while I liked the premise of the book, I found myself struggling at various points with tired dialogue… got the feeling more than once of things being driven out, it just felt tired…so I skipped thru pages.. i wanted to just stop,but I don’t like unfinished things… 🤷♀️. The story finally picked up about the 50% mark… in the end I did enjoy more than not, the story of Simon and Ella…
First time reading this author… while I liked the premise of the book, I found myself struggling at various points with tired dialogue… got the feeling more than once of things being driven out, it just felt tired…so I skipped thru pages.. i wanted to just stop,but I don’t like unfinished things… 🤷♀️. The story finally picked up about the 50% mark… in the end I did enjoy more than not, the story of Simon and Ella…
did-not-finish
July 7, 2024I had to DNF this book at page 56 due to the abundance of grammar mistakes, modern words, poorly done research (Little Women and Alice in Wonderland existing in 1814?? I think not!). Did the author have this book copy edited and proofread before publication? If not, they should highly consider getting this looked at...
The writing is OK and as for the romance, I didn't get far enough into the book to be able to say anything about it.
This book is not for me.
The writing is OK and as for the romance, I didn't get far enough into the book to be able to say anything about it.
This book is not for me.
April 9, 2022
Exciting original!
This is a truly original story that is VERY difficult to put down. I loved Ellie and Simon, especially the way they met. Definitely ran a gambit of emotions over the Aunt’s treatment, Felicity’s jealousy and Kate’s attempt at caring. Would have loved to have seen Aunt’s face when she was told her plan was blown to bits! Well worth the effort to read!
This is a truly original story that is VERY difficult to put down. I loved Ellie and Simon, especially the way they met. Definitely ran a gambit of emotions over the Aunt’s treatment, Felicity’s jealousy and Kate’s attempt at caring. Would have loved to have seen Aunt’s face when she was told her plan was blown to bits! Well worth the effort to read!
November 1, 2022
Duke Of Richmond finds love
Duke Richmond never wants to marry since his fiancee was
accidentally killed due to a snowstorm. Lady Eloise, the poor relation, has decided not to marry. She lives at the.Lyndon estate and helps with the chores blue to the pettiness of the Lady Lyndon.
Duke Richmond never wants to marry since his fiancee was
accidentally killed due to a snowstorm. Lady Eloise, the poor relation, has decided not to marry. She lives at the.Lyndon estate and helps with the chores blue to the pettiness of the Lady Lyndon.
November 10, 2023
SWEET ROMANCE
This was a sweet romance with some steamy scenes, but not too descriptive. I thought it was well written and I definitely believed the connection between Simon and Eloise. Her aunt and cousin were awful to her and I feel like that was never really addressed, but there was a happy ending for all.
This was a sweet romance with some steamy scenes, but not too descriptive. I thought it was well written and I definitely believed the connection between Simon and Eloise. Her aunt and cousin were awful to her and I feel like that was never really addressed, but there was a happy ending for all.
November 14, 2024
I think this is really more lifestyle like the English would be during this time period. I have read some Recency time Romances that is so different from the regular people,you wonder how do people ever have get children.
I gave it this rating because I enjoyed reading the ebook and I now have several more of her ebooks.
I gave it this rating because I enjoyed reading the ebook and I now have several more of her ebooks.
January 24, 2025
Loved the story,
Eloise and Simon met behind masks at a ball without knowing each other. Later at a dinner at Simons a snow storm trapped her at his castle, one thing leads to another but as much as I loved the characters a bit of their immaturity came through though they were into adulthood. Past issues came between them, until their happily ever after. Enjoy!
Eloise and Simon met behind masks at a ball without knowing each other. Later at a dinner at Simons a snow storm trapped her at his castle, one thing leads to another but as much as I loved the characters a bit of their immaturity came through though they were into adulthood. Past issues came between them, until their happily ever after. Enjoy!
March 1, 2022
I did enjoy this book. It had a good storyline and kept me interested. It did however, have a few errors and typos that were important to the story. At times the way the story was written was confusing. I feel like it could have been better.
September 26, 2022
A wonderful historic romance!
This novel certainly made me happy and I really enjoyed reading it. The characters are just right for each other and their story is interesting and wonderful to experience, thank you, Jack.
This novel certainly made me happy and I really enjoyed reading it. The characters are just right for each other and their story is interesting and wonderful to experience, thank you, Jack.
October 16, 2024
Mysterious listener
Eloise is at a ball in an ungodly yellow dress. Its a masquerade ball and she is spotted by a rake. Words fly but so does passion. Do they ever meet in a close setting. What a great book. I will be reading more by Tessa Brookman!
Eloise is at a ball in an ungodly yellow dress. Its a masquerade ball and she is spotted by a rake. Words fly but so does passion. Do they ever meet in a close setting. What a great book. I will be reading more by Tessa Brookman!
June 2, 2025
A wonderful story that really appealed to me. I liked the couple in the book. I would recommend this
Book to anyone. I liked the storyline very well. The villain got his comeuppance very well. I didn't like her cousin Felicity until the end.
Book to anyone. I liked the storyline very well. The villain got his comeuppance very well. I didn't like her cousin Felicity until the end.
April 9, 2022
First time
This is the first time I've read this author's work. It was a great read. Cinderella and the Rake. Healing and true love made it a great read.📚😍📚😍📚😍📚
This is the first time I've read this author's work. It was a great read. Cinderella and the Rake. Healing and true love made it a great read.📚😍📚😍📚😍📚
November 19, 2023
Good read but drags on a bit
Enjoyed the characters but it started out very choppy. Would like to see better transitions.... . . . . .
Enjoyed the characters but it started out very choppy. Would like to see better transitions.... . . . . .
Read
January 24, 2024Probably won’t keep reading the series tbh
March 18, 2024
Good story
Love a damsel in distress.
Spice level: 🌶🌶/ 5
Plot: 6/10
Tw: attempted domestic abuse, life-threatening injury to fmc, premarital hand hoiding and sex.
Love a damsel in distress.
Spice level: 🌶🌶/ 5
Plot: 6/10
Tw: attempted domestic abuse, life-threatening injury to fmc, premarital hand hoiding and sex.
April 12, 2024
This was surprisingly fun! What a delightful little read.
February 14, 2022
Eloise Brooks is treated a little like cinderella by her aunt and one of her cousins At a masquerade party where she finds the guy who she thought she was going to marry making out with another women. She runs out into the garden and runs into Simon Comeford, the Duke of Richmond. After the party her family is invited to the Duke's house. She is left behind for the dinner by her aunt. Her uncle finds out and takes her to the dinner. When she gets to the dinner she finds out her family had left. The weather starts to get bad so she has to stay. The weather stays that way for a few days. The duke and Eloise start getting close but then an accident happens to Eloise which brings back bad memories to Simon. He starts to distance himself from her. A few days after she is forced back by the guy who she at first wanted to marry he realizes she's the girl he's been looking for since the masquerade ball. He rushes to london talks to her uncle tells him what he knows about the guy that is now forcing her to marry him. Her uncle and him rush to the ball and confronts the guy he leaves and Eloise walks out to the garden where almost the same converstion her and Simon had that long ago night but this time she knows it's Simon. I loved this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2022
Simon and Eloise . . .
Simon Comeford, the Duke of Richmond, has a colorful reputation. Lady Eloise Brooks lives with her aunt, uncle, and cousins, but has had a lonely life, not shown love or care, except by her uncle. Her aunt told her she would be marrying Lord James Hackberry, and it didn’t matter if she liked it or not. But when she attends a masquerade ball, she finds her betrothed kissing another woman and she runs away, tripping in the gardens. A masked gentleman helps her and they kiss, causing her to run off again. Simon tries to find out who she is but is unsuccessful.
When there is a dinner hosted at Simon's home, Eloise’s uncle has to arrange a carriage since her aunt and cousins left without her. But a storm is coming, her relatives left early, and Eloise needs to stay there in the castle due to the severity of the weather. Will Simon and Eloise eventually recognize each other without their masks? Or will she agree to his proposal to spend five nights with him and, if she can’t resist him, he will then help her find the mystery man she seeks? Are they ready to find their HEA?
Simon Comeford, the Duke of Richmond, has a colorful reputation. Lady Eloise Brooks lives with her aunt, uncle, and cousins, but has had a lonely life, not shown love or care, except by her uncle. Her aunt told her she would be marrying Lord James Hackberry, and it didn’t matter if she liked it or not. But when she attends a masquerade ball, she finds her betrothed kissing another woman and she runs away, tripping in the gardens. A masked gentleman helps her and they kiss, causing her to run off again. Simon tries to find out who she is but is unsuccessful.
When there is a dinner hosted at Simon's home, Eloise’s uncle has to arrange a carriage since her aunt and cousins left without her. But a storm is coming, her relatives left early, and Eloise needs to stay there in the castle due to the severity of the weather. Will Simon and Eloise eventually recognize each other without their masks? Or will she agree to his proposal to spend five nights with him and, if she can’t resist him, he will then help her find the mystery man she seeks? Are they ready to find their HEA?
February 12, 2022
An entertaining book with a nice storyline, only I didn’t find it all that logical. Characteristics are nicely described, and not all are equally flattering.
Some situations I find a little under-developed. What amazes me most is how everyone continues to deal with Eloise, and she remains friendly. Like one of her cousins, her aunt, even her uncle doesnt always do his best for her.
Simon hasn;t always shown his best side either, but when he realizes she’s also the woman in the mask, does he suddenly want to risk everything for her? Okay, so there are some things that I find strange, but Eloise;s stay in the castle, and their games are nice. Easy to read
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Some situations I find a little under-developed. What amazes me most is how everyone continues to deal with Eloise, and she remains friendly. Like one of her cousins, her aunt, even her uncle doesnt always do his best for her.
Simon hasn;t always shown his best side either, but when he realizes she’s also the woman in the mask, does he suddenly want to risk everything for her? Okay, so there are some things that I find strange, but Eloise;s stay in the castle, and their games are nice. Easy to read
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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