From award-winning, historical romance author, Patricia Barletta, comes the first book in an exciting Regency romance series, about a spy network of daring Dukes who fall in love while undercover.Lady Jessica Carlton can’t afford to lose. Known as the Lady Fortuna, she wagers it all each night at the most notorious gaming hell in London, run by the French émigré, Madame du Barré. Jessica has … Jessica has built a reputation as one of the best gamblers in the ton. But she derives no joy in winning and must hand over everything she makes to her stepmother, Margaret. If Jessica loses, Margaret will force her into a loveless marriage and keep her from seeing her younger brother. Since the death of her father, the Earl of Braeleigh, Jessica is the only person who can protect twelve-year-old Jason, from Margaret’s machinations. She must win at any cost.
But Jessica never expected to lose to the handsome Damien Trevor, Duke of Wyndham. In a rash attempt to keep her winnings, she deals from the bottom of the deck. The Duke catches her sleight of hand and demands satisfaction—or he will have her evicted from the gaming hell. Desperate, Jessica agrees to pay Wyndham back—by spending a night in his bed.
Damien is captivated by the blue-eyed, raven-haired beauty who cheated so smoothly. Her mysterious identity intrigues him, but her furtive trips out of London raise his suspicions. As the English spy, Le Chat, Damien is given the task of uncovering and toppling espionage networks on behalf of His Majesty, King George. Could the lovely Jessica be smuggling English secrets to the French?
Passion brings Damien and Jessica together. Secrets and lies threaten to tear them apart. As fate deals them a deadly hand, can they trust in each other and believe the truth in their hearts?
The Duke Who Loved Me is a substantially revised and re-edited re-release of Ecstasy’s Gamble, originally published in 1990, under Patricia Barletta’s pen-name, Amy Christopher.
more
Will evil win?
I picked this book up on eBook Discovery as a free book and I am so glad I did. This book has spies, danger, sassy characters, and an off-the-wall love story. The villains were a great touch and truly evil. The last chapter will keep you glued to your chair. I really enjoyed reading this book I have another one of this author’s books and I cannot wait to read it. I am happy to recommend this book. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
What a read ! Emotionally engrossing, witty, exciting and enjoyable ! I receive this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
The storyline was well written with characters that were so well defined that as each and every page was turned I felt like the characters pulled me right into their story as it effortlessly unfolded!
3.5 Stars
Based on the blurb, I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it just never drew me in The prologue was intriguing. There was some suspense, and even a little bit of mystery. Jessica, the heroine, is really in a tough spot. She’s being blackmailed by her own step-mother, and is trying to protect her young brother. Fortunately, Jessica is very smart and is a successful, profitable gambler. Enter Damien, the ‘hero’ … the source of a lot of my dissatisfaction with the story. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but for me Damien was a cold fish as far as being the hero in a romance novel. He supposed to be rakishly handsome, and arrogant because of his ducal position in society, but he is also a bully to Jessica.
Without giving spoilers I will say that there are reasons he acts the way he does, but he goes pretty far. He even blackmails Jessica into being intimate with him. The male lead character in a romance book can certainly rebound from that type of behavior. In my personal opinion, Damien never accomplished that. Jessica falls in love with him. Then she doesn’t love him. Then she does. Being a successful gambler requires good instincts and decisiveness. Outside the gaming tables, Jessica doesn’t display either of those qualities. I never “felt” much authenticity in their relationship, but YMMV.
There is good, solid plot in this book – within the plot are deeply tangled family histories, spies, illicit auctions, gambling dens, arson and more. The epilogue provides a nice HEA. It was well-written and easy to follow, despite the complexity of the story,
I received a review copy for free, and I am voluntarily leaving this review to share my honest opinion.
You know those old movies where the audience knows that the bridge has been blown out but has to watch the train steam on toward it unwittingly? And the audience holds their breath as they hope the conductor will see and set the brakes. And even when the brakes come on the train squeals and lurches and slides towards that broken bridge, and then they all gasp for air when the train stops just as the first engine teeters on the edge of a certain plummet to death?
Well that’s what reading this book is like. It’s an amazing reading experience. All through, the reader desperately roots for the MC’s but has to watch the cataclysmic events occur, holding onto that faint hope that somehow it will all work out on the end.
I loved every minute of this book and am searching out more books by this author. She has amazing talent at drawing out the suspense while building up the romance and tension between the MC’s.
Thank you, Patricia Barletta, for the compliments advanced review copy via BookSirens in exchange for my honest review.
Lady Jessica Carlton has lost her dad and her stepmom is an evil woman who is blackmailing her to help to keep her in money. She also holds her brother Jason away from Lady Jessica. Lady Jessica has begun gambling under an assumed name to earn the money to pay her stepmother at a gambling place run by Madame du Barré. Madame du Barré has helped her get set up in her hall and the only thing she has to do in return is deliver a letter to her friend that lives near Lady Jessica’s home. She has to pay her step mother to keep from marrying someone she does not want to. She pretty much wins against all the other people except The Duke. She usually keeps a cool head but she gets frustrated and cheats for the first time ever and he catches her.
Damien Trevor the Duke of Wyndham is not only a Duke but a spy for England. He happens to come in to the gambling place by Madame du Barré. Later on he has to try to figure out how she is getting information to Napoleon. In the meantime he becomes intrigued with Lady Jessica and tries to find out information about her. He is angry about her cheating and figures out a creative way to punish her. They end up falling in love with each other without even themselves figuring it out. Their love life becomes a roller coaster along with other aspects of their lives.
I liked the book. It was an interesting story line. I am a fast reader so I read it pretty quick. They only thing I did not like is the Duke did not hardly ever trust Lady Jessica and always questioned what she was doing but at the same time he expected her to trust him and follow his every command without question. It also annoyed me he was shocked that she did not know how to stop from getting pregnant he knew that she was a virgin. Also the writing was good enough to make me hate the Stepmother Margret.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own.
A daring story with two well played characters. Both Damien and Jessica have secrets and are living double lives. They play a game of cat and mouse that puts them in danger more than once. It is a good story with plenty of intrigue and twist and turns that will keep the reader interested. The characters are witty and entertaining.
Lady Jessica Carlton was in serious trouble and with no one to help her solve them despair had taken her to deeper waters. She had put more than she could afford at stake and was going to lose everything. Damien Trevor, Duke of Wyndham, was determined to win the game regardless of the consequences or doubts that assailed him. Obstinate, outspoken and proud Jessica was vulnerable too so, she had secrets she wanted to keep hidden even when her safety was in danger. An intriguing, action packed and suspenseful story with an interesting plot development full of twists and danger. I liked this historical romance with a lot of intrigue, risky heroines and controversial issues. The young and naive Lady Jessica had to mature quickly to deal with a cruel world that threatened to swallow her. Inconceivable for the Duke to find a virginal young woman in a den of game on her own free will and behaving as at home. Regency Era! Women were considered someone’s property if not, they were free game. First book I read by this author and it won’t be the last.
Loved the story of Damien Trevor, Duke of Wyndham, and Lady Jessica Carlton. Her stepmother forces Jessica to provide money to fund her lifestyle after her father (an earl) dies and uses her young brother to keep her in line. Damien catches her cheating him at cards and demands satisfaction. Surprises, misunderstandings, deceptions and betrayal abound before these two can find their HEA ending. Good read! I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
Once started I could not stop reading. I highly recommend this book. I received this book from Ebook Discovery. I voluntarily reviewed this book. This is my honest review.
Lady Jessica Carlton AKA Lady Fortuna Is a gambling whirlwind. She has been Forced to gamble by her stepmother who keeps her brother very close to her and Jessica must protect her last relative, her brother. After the death of her father, Jason Carlton became Earl of Braeleigh He was only twelve years old. She loved him dearly. All the duke seemed to do was order her about, he never asked.
Damien Trevor, Duke of Wyndham, was tall, good looking, charming, green eyes, golden hair, and darkly tanned. He had been working for the crown and was a soldier, colonel, he also chased spies on English soil.
I loved the story of a sister trying to protect her brother and save him from the evil stepmother. It was a great plot and the characters were wonderful. There was so much happening but it kept you interested and entertained. It was easy to read. I am so pleased that I got the chance to read this book.
I highly recommend it.
I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
I liked the book overall but I felt that if Jessica was truly that great of a card player she would not have made the choices she did. She didn’t seem to act with good judgment or a cool head. Damien was interesting but I felt like he could have been more honorable in his dealings with Jessica and less of a bully. I enjoyed the storyline though and the characters were fun otherwise. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
This is my first time reading something by this author. This was a story of intrigue and suspense and captured my attention and held it through the end. The storyline was interesting and the twists in the plot were full of danger and suspense. To save herself from her stepmother’s efforts of forcing her into a loveless marriage, Jessica spends her evening in a gaming hell wagering and winning to keep her stepmother’s plans at bay. She cannot afford to lose. But she does lose – to the Duke of Wyndham, Damien. And when he catches her stealing at an attempt to take home some winnings, he catches her and demands repayment – in the form of one night with him. Their one night of passion turns into so much more as Damien is fascinated and captivated by Jessica. Damien is a spy for the Crown and on a mission and Jessica has secrets of her own. As they begin to lose their hearts, they are at risk of losing each other as secrets begin to be revealed.
This was an entertaining and enjoyable Regency spy mystery and I look forward to reading more of this series.
I received a free copy of this book via eBook Discovery and am voluntarily posting my honest review.
The cover and the blurb for this book had me thinking it was an exciting Regency romance, however, I found that it had more of a Gothic feel about it. My emotions were involved from the beginning but the further I got into the book the more horrified I became. The novel does culminate on a positive note but a sensitive reader will probably find this story disturbing. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.