She is ice and fire. The touch of her burns his hands like snow…Though raised like every other well-bred Lady of the ton, Arabella Foster is certainly not one of them. And her unwavering determination to be involved in her father’s ducal duties leads her straight into the path of one charming barrister…Of common birth but with an ingenious mind, Charles Connolly has established his … Connolly has established his professional reign as London’s most sought-after barrister. And yet, there’s something that eludes him. His heart’s greatest desire: Arabella Foster’s hand.
A series of suspicious deaths of prominent noblemen shakes the foundations of London’s high society. When Arabella’s father receives a threatening note, all clues point to a single common thread: Charles Connolly.
With more than just his reputation on the line, Charles is determined to clear his name and win the favor of Arabella’s father.
However, the world is a scary place when darkness falls, and unbeknownst to him, Charles just put himself in the gravest danger of them all…
*If you like a realistic yet steamy depiction of the Regency and Victorian era, then Forbidden Desires of a Seductive Duchess is the novel for you.
This is Violet’s 3rd novel, a historical Regency romance novel of 80,000 words (around 400 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a strong happily ever after.
Pick up “Forbidden Desires of a Seductive Duchess” today to discover Violet’s fantastic new story!
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What a fantastic book. This isn’t “just” another historical romance but a serial murder mystery. And the prologue really sets up the rest of the storylines. Charles Connolly is a ten year old boy when his father is hung for murder. A few days later, there is another murder and the real murderer is caught and he looks remarkably like Charles father. The constable comes to apologize for the mistake and to let them know that they have raised money to help the family and pay for Charles to get an education. Charles decides that he will become a barrister and help people like his father and hopefully prevent another miscarriage of justice.
Seventeen years later:
There is someone, calling themselves Nemisis, out there sending threatening letters to different members of the ton. They are threatened with murder when they come back to London in the winter.
Charles is a barrister that helps with estate planning and he has been hired by the Duke of Tiverwell to come to his country estate to help get his affairs in order. The Duke’s only child is his daughter, seventeen year old Lady Arabella and she cannot inherit the dukedom or the ducal estate. They will be inherited by his cousin but the Duke wants to make sure that the Duchess and Arabella are taken care of financially.
Arabella has been raised by her parents to be independent and she not only fences but she wears breeches and rides her horse astride. The members of the ton are scandalized by her behavior. When she meets Charles, she has just finished fencing and is dressed in fencing gear. She is impressed that Charles doesn’t seem bothered by either that fact that she wears breeches or fences. She challenges him to a duel and he agrees to fence her the next day.
The next day, Arabella and Charles have a very strong fencing match, and Arabella is able to win. And so begins a very subtle love affair. Arabella and Charles have a very strong emotional connection as well as mutual respect for each other the way they are. But before their relationship gets to progress, someone breaks into the house and leave a threatening note “By Winter, you will die.” This scares the Duke enough to move his family to another location. In addition, the Duke sends Charles back to London to find out who is behind the threat. The Duke believes it is a one of his former employees.
Charles and Arabella agree to keep in touch via letters and to see each other again in six months when her family returns to London. She will turn 18 at that time. If Arabella and Charles still feel the same way, Charles will approach the Duke to get his permission for Charles to court and marry Arabella. Unfortunately, when Charles approaches the Duke the next day, the Duke explodes and refuses let then to allow them to even see each other again.
What will happen to Charles and Arabella? Will Nemisis, the murderer, follow through on the threats to kill members of the ton? Why are they being threatened in the first place. Will Charles find himself under suspicion of being responsible for the murders? Will he meet the same fate as his father? To find out what happens next, you need to get this book.
I received an ARC of this ebook to read and give an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was very hard to write this review because there was so much going on in the different plotlines that I didn’t want to reveal any spoilers but I wanted to pique future reader’s attention to get them to read this book. I hope I succeeded.
Lies and deception spins this tangled web in this murder mystery that has a incredible strong plot, wonderful characters, and great dialogue that bring Forbidden Desires of a Seductive Duchess together perfectly. It’s a full of suspense with twist and turns that will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat with a murderous villain slinking in the background waiting to strike their next victims! Mr Charles Conoley a barrister becomes embroiled in finding the killer who is slowly killing of members of the ton. The heroine Lady Arabella Foster falls in love with Charles and Together they will race against times to save Arabella’s father from becoming the next victim! It’s a romance with uncertainty, threats, deception, drama, and suspense. With all Charles and Arabella go through makes this a outstanding story that you won’t want to miss. Violet Hamers has outdone herself with this novel!!
Charles Conolly was ten years old when his father was taken from him and his mother. Accused of a crime he was innocent of; he was hung. Soon after his death the authoritories discovered another man was guilty of the crime but it was too late. Years later Charles became a barrister. Working on estate matters for The Duke of Tiverwell he meets Lady Arabella the Duke’s daughter. Not the typical Lady of the ton mind you. She was often seen wearing breeches and adored the sport of fencing. Both are instantly attracted to each other but he has nothing to offer her. Add to this intriguing story….murder. This was a definite page-turner for me. I highly recommend it.
Thrilling suspenseful murder mystery. This is fast paced so be aware. Never a dull or boring moment. There are intriguing twists and turns in this story. The romance between Arabella and Charles was a testament to their devotion to each other despite the odds against a lady married to a common barrister. Arabella’s father’s character was a force to be reckoned with. He is a duke and had high expectations for Arabella. It was amazing that since she was an only child, he raised her like a son as well as a well-bred lady. She was unique in her pursuits, how she handled and did things and she was not afraid to best any man intellectually or otherwise. Charles had a growing reputation of being one of the best barristers in London. He started local and eventually made himself a name within the ton. Most of his clients were Lords. When the murders of clients were revealed, he was made the number one suspect. He enlisted the help of a private detective who was the Earl of Dunsmore. He is a lovable quirky cross between Columbo and Sherlock Holmes. An excellent read. I highly recommend it.