One of Cosmopolitan’s Best Romance Novels of 2020!
One of Orpah Mag’s Best Romance Novels of 2020!
A disinherited duke and a former lady are courting much more than business in the first novel in Megan Frampton’s newest titillating series, Hazards of Dukes.Everything he had ever known was a lie… lie…
Sebastian, Duke of Hasford, has a title, wealth, privilege, and plenty of rakish charm. Until he discovers the only thing that truly belongs to him is his charm. An accident of birth has turned him into plain Mr. de Silva. Now, Sebastian is flummoxed as to what to do with his life—until he stumbles into a gambling den owned by Miss Ivy, a most fascinating young lady, who hires him on the spot. Working with a boss has never seemed so enticing.
Everything tells her he’s a risk she has to take…
Two years ago, Ivy gambled everything that was precious to her—and won. Now the owner of London’s most intriguing gambling house, Ivy is competent, assured, and measured. Until she meets Mr. de Silva, who stirs feelings she didn’t realize she had. Can she keep her composure around her newest employee?
They vow to keep their partnership strictly business, but just one kiss makes them realize that with each passing day—and night—there’s nothing as tempting as what is forbidden…
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Megan Frampton’s NEVER KISS A DUKE is a delightful a mixture of warmth, wit, humor, and sensuality that had me reading late into the night.
In the blink of an eye Sebastian’s life changed, one minute he was Sebastian Dutton, the Duke of Hasford and the next, thanks to his mother, he was Sebastian de Silva, illegitimate son of the former Duke and his cousin, Thaddeus is now the duke. After making Thad promise to take care of his older half-sister Ana Maria, a stunned and more than a little upset Sebastian goes to see his friend Nash, the Duke of Malvern. Nash decides that Sebastian needs a night out and they visit a new gaming club – Miss Ivy’s.
Ivy Holton’s life was also thrown into disarray by a parent, she was born the daughter of a baron, but the flip of a card ruined her – her father wagered her hand in marriage and lost, unwilling to accept that, Ivy took matters in her own hands and challenged her would be groom to game and won her freedom – but the cost was her reputation and standing in society. Upon the death of her father, Ivy took her meager inheritance and her younger sister Octavia and moved to London. She opened Miss Ivy’s with the idea that she could make enough money to buy a cottage somewhere and give Octavia choices that were stolen from Ivy. When Nash and Sebastian first arrive, Ivy is intrigued by Sebastian, but as the night wears on Sebastian begins to cause trouble with the other patrons, but before she has to ask him to leave, Nash steps in and takes him home. Ivy is upset and hopes she never has to see him again.
The next day, Sebastian learns of his actions at Miss Ivy’s and feels the need to talk to her, he tracks her down and apologizes, Ivy is gracious and forgives him, they talk and he has some good ideas that she would like to implement with his permission, he agrees and takes his leave. But later that night, he returns and saves Ivy from being robbed, he is injured in the fight and Ivy takes care of him. When he wakes, she asks if he would like to work for her – she offers him a salary and room/board. Sebastian accepts and then goes to tell his family of his plans.
Nash really has no concerns about his new job, but Thad and Ana Maria are very upset and don’t understand why he refuses to stay with them and basically still run the dukedom. Sebastian tries to explain that he needs to prove something to himself, prove that he is not worthless without the title, but they still don’t understand. Ana Maria is especially upset, Sebastian’s mother was her step-mother and treat Ana Maria horribly, Sebastian was her protector, even though he is younger than she is, she doesn’t want him to leave, but agrees to give him time as long as he promises to visit her.
Sebastian and Ivy settle into a routine and all is going well, until a kiss changes everything. Sebastian knows that he wants Ivy in his life, but when he is offered the chance to return to society and redeem his reputation, will he take it or will he find way to return on his own terms and more importantly, does Ivy want to return?
I really enjoyed this book, it was a fun read and Sebastian and Ivy are very likable, the plot stayed on point, the banter was witty, the love scenes steamy and the ending satisfying. I did find Ana Maria a bit odd – she is older than Sebastian, but since the author never gave the reader any definitive ages, I have no idea how old she is, but she seemed much younger than Sebastian, almost child-like and somewhat needy. I didn’t dislike her, but I didn’t understand why Sebastian felt the need to treat her so gently and wondered if she was mentally challenged, but later I realized that Sebastian felt guilty that she was abused by his mother and became overly protective of her as a result. Anyway, I liked this book and would be happy to recommend this book and I am looking forward to the next book in the series (I think Ana Maria is the heroine in the next book, so I am very interested to see if the author can change my perception of her).
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher.*
Never Kiss a Duke
A Hazards of Dukes Novel
Megan Frampton
https://www.facebook.com/meganframptonbooks/
Release date 1/28/2020
Publisher Avon
Blurb :
Everything he had ever known was a lie…
Sebastian, Duke of Hasford, has a title, wealth, privilege, and plenty of rakish charm. Until he discovers the only thing that truly belongs to him is his charm. An accident of birth has turned him into plain Mr. de Silva. Now, Sebastian is flummoxed as to what to do with his life—until he stumbles into a gambling den owned by Miss Ivy, a most fascinating young lady, who hires him on the spot. Working with a boss has never seemed so enticing.
Everything tells her he’s a risk she has to take…
Two years ago, Ivy gambled everything that was precious to her—and won. Now the owner of London’s most intriguing gambling house, Ivy is competent, assured, and measured. Until she meets Mr. de Silva, who stirs feelings she didn’t realize she had. Can she keep her composure around her newest employee?
They vow to keep their partnership strictly business, but just one kiss makes them realize that with each passing day—and night—there’s nothing as tempting as what is forbidden…
My review :
When life’s circumstances are altered, how to go forward when you are stripped of everything you have ever known…
Just by reading the blurb, I could not imagine how a man raised to have it all would do when he has nothing left.
I was even more impressed that the marriage law’s detail, base of the background plot, was true. How it must have impacted many many lives.
Sebastian, former duke, divested from his title and wealth is now plain Mr de Silva, a duke’s illegitimate son. So, how will he rise from this twist of fate?
Sebastian is no arrogant nor haughty man, sure for a commoner he looks like one, after all it is all he had ever known, but as a trained duke, he is rather approachable and easy to speak with.
It is certain, even disowned, his family and friends would have continued to support him, but he can’t face his previous life anymore.
In a way, he ran away from his former self, trying to dig a new road for the new Sebastian. Thus he has to relearn everything from dressing and shaving alone to the cost of things, and also to find a new purpose.
I loved him, he makes mistakes, a lot of them but he tries, he strives. He wants to prove he is worth his title, that the duke of Hasford in him is dead, only remain Sebastian. He does not want to be defined anymore by his late title, only the man he will be.
With Ivy, he thinks he has found the right path, still he is torn between his new life and his life old one when his kin wants him back.
Ivy is not the usual miss of good manners, when she could have hunker down and accepted her fate, she took charge of her own future.
After having broken every rules demanded to a woman of good breeding, she makes her owns.
She is determined to never again be at the mercy of someone else, and to offer her younger sister the choice of her own destiny, when hers have been robbed from her.
With Sebastian, she sees an opportunity for her business, but also a man who stirs feelings she has never encountered before.
Their relationship will need time to be established, with Ivy becoming his employer, they change the dynamic of their association.
Why they have up and down as they struggle to find the right pace. They are attracted to one another, but need to find a common ground to enter a more intimate bond.
It was lovely to see them interact, decide to reach for something they hadn’t expected. They struggle too as by allowing themselves to care for the other, they have to reshape their own expectations.
As a first in a series, it introduces the different protagonists we will see again in the next books, as side characters, they champion their relatives to be the best of themselves even if at time, they do not realize they push them in the wrong direction.
There is no vilain in this story, no need, when they are their worst enemy, overthinking things and muddling their feelings to the point of failing to see what was right in front of them.
I am just not able to place the cover, the yellow dress maybe but a cover with the heroine wearing a daring red gown and a mask would have been a hint.
5 stars for this sensual and romantic tale of family’s love and the resilience of the soul.
I was granted an advance copy through Edelweiss by the publisher Avon, I had previously purchased my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
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Usually, I prefer full length novels to novellas. I think I would have preferred this if it had been shorter. It just seemed to drag on, constantly repeating the two main characters going on and on (and on) to themselves and to each other – and anyone else who happened to be around – about how much the facts of their lives had changed. (He’s not a duke anymore, she’s not “a lady” anymore.) The ending, when it finally came around, was rushed. He makes an utter ass of himself with his proposal, disappears for 2 months to “find himself” by growing turnips, and shows back up & proposes again.
Review originally published at Romancing Romances.
2.5*
I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.
First of all, don’t do like me. I read two historical romances all about gambling places/casinos in a row, and it did not help.
I believe this was my first book by Megan Frampton, but having heard good things, I expected a great book. And I almost got. Almost.
This book is… soft. Not in an “oh no, there’s no sexy times” way (on the contrary), but it just didn’t deliver.
I cared more about the side characters, than the main ones.
Ivy had a great premise, a lady who had a gambling house, who wagered to save herself and her sister, she seemed like she had all that was required for a great character. And that is true for the first half of the book. After that her character just changed in a way that didn’t make sense to me. Yes, we can be confident and still have times when we have self-doubt, and our self-love isn’t as high as it normally is, but is just felt like she Ivy was a completely different person.
For our former duke, Sebastian de Silva, everything seemed to simple. He lost all he had ever known, yet, he gets a job immediately and that pretty much makes the story flow in a way that does not allow him to discover himself, and when at the end he decides to actually do that we get, what? Two pages where nothing happens even if he spent two months thinking and getting to actually know himself and his feelings? It lacked depth.
Ana Maria (Sebastian’s sister), Nash (Sebastian’s best friend), and Octavia (Ivy’s sister) seemed way more interesting than our hero and heroine.
The writing was good, it just wasn’t compelling to me. But I am curious about the next couple in the series so, I might have better luck with the next book.
Sebastian (Seb) Dutton, the Duke of Hasford, has just learned that he is illegitimate and, thus, is no longer a Duke. He is simply Mr. Sebastian de Silva. His cousin, Thaddeus (Thad), the Earl of Kempthorne, is also a solicitor and he will be the new Duke of Hasford. Thad is just as stunned and Seb is. It turns out that Seb’s mother had lied about something that left her marriage a sham and illegal. Seb is mostly concerned about his half sister, Ana Maria, and hopes Thad will see that she is well cared for.
Seb’s good friend, Nash, the Duke of Malvern, drops by and insists that Seb accompany him out for the evening. Seb, Thad, and Nash have been close friends all of their lives.
Seb and Nash arrive at Miss Ivy’s, a successful gambling house in London. Ivy was born a lady but after she defied her father and refused to marry a man he had chosen for her, she had to work her way up to finally owning her own gambling house. She wants the best for her younger sister, Octavia, who gets bored just doing needlework. She wants to work as a dealer but Ivy is adamant that she will not.
When Seb saves Ivy from a robber, she offers him a job. He is quite happy to accept as he has a number of ideas on how to improve the gambling house.
Soon, Seb and Ivy are attracted to one another but an incident where he is humiliated by a guest, makes him realize that he is simply her employee.
I have read so very many of Megan Frampton’s books and have loved them all. However, I just didn’t like the character chemistry in this story. The plot was a turnoff and I’m sorry to say that I just did not care for this book at all. However, I know that she is a very talented author and I’m sure her next novels will be better.
Copy provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.
First in the Hazards of Dukes series! I’m hooked and will definitely check out the second! “They vow to keep their partnership strictly business, but just one kiss makes them realize that with each passing day—and night—there’s nothing as tempting as what is forbidden…” I was happy to have them skip past “strictly business!”
I love a steamy, historical romance and Ms. Frampton delivered this and more.
I enjoyed her characters and hope to see them again in future Duke stories!
I received an advanced reader copy, and this is my honest and voluntary review.
A change in station
What happens when a Duke is no longer a Duke? Letters written by Sebastian’s mother are proof that he’s not the legal heir. Everything he’s known has been a lie. What can he do? Where can he go? An extraordinary woman may have the answers he needs. A trope I haven’t read very often, written in the best way for a romance.
I enjoyed Megan Frampton’s “Never Kiss a Duke,” the first book of the Hazards of Dukes series. I especially appreciated that it was so different from most of the other historical romances I’ve read. While I have come across books set in gambling clubs before, the male lead character has always been the proprietor. In this case, the female lead, Ivy, was in charge of the business, and it was great to see her making a success of the club on her own even before meeting Sebastian, the male lead character.
“Never Kiss a Duke” is very much a character-driven story, so some readers may find it to be a bit slow-paced. That said, the main characters, Ivy and Sebastian, were incredibly likeable and well-developed, and I found it to be very easy to empathize with them and understand what they were going through. I also enjoyed the amusing aspects of the situation as Sebastian learned to navigate the world without servants and had to do his own laundry and light a stove, for example.
I really liked the secondary characters in this story as well and look forward to getting to know them better in future books. There seemed to be an attraction brewing between Sebastian’s friend Nash, the Duke of Malvern, and his half-sister, Lady Ana Maria, so it will be interesting to see where the story takes them next.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are my own.
Never Kiss A Duke, by Megan Frampton, is available through booksellers on 1-28-20. Never Kiss is book 1 in Ms Frampton’s new series, A Hazards of Dukes. The premise is a duke loses his title, thanks to his own mother. He meets the lovely owner of a gambling hell, who happens to have lost her place in society too. I like the plot idea but it never seemed to quite spark on all cylinders. Our hero & heroine are perfectly nice people but a little too nice. Where’s the anger, angst, regret, lust for revenge? They both seem to accept their fate too soon. Friends and relatives stick by them, nice, but neither runs into people from their former life. There’s no cut direct or much snide comments thrown their way. I’m glad Seb & Ivy got their HEA but the secondary characters interested me more. After all that, I will say that I’m waiting on book 2. The next couple has promise.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#MeganFrampton #NeverKissADuke #HazardsOfDukes #Netgalley #AvonBooks #HarperCollinsPublishers #historicalromance
This book idea was a good one. It started out pretty good but for me failed to really draw me in as much as I would have liked. Which is kind of hard to say because the main characters were ones that I often liked. They both had their lives turned upside down and were doing the best they could to adjust. Sebastian had quite the wake-up call when he realized he was so entitled that he didn’t even how to make his bed.
Some good points were the closeness and protectiveness that Sebastian has to his sister Ana Maria, his friend Nash, casually dubbed, The Fighting Duke and his cousin Thaddeus the newly appointed duke. They made for some interesting secondary people who stood by Sebastian. Although only Ana Maria gets the deeper part in the story.
Octavia also shows up in the story as a mischievous, determined, spirited sister to Ivy.
For me, the story kind of stalls with not much happening for quite a while.
There is a H.E.A. for the main characters which was good. I just wish I had liked the story more.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
When Sebastian loses his place in society he goes on a personal journey to discover who he is, and what he wants to become. Ivy, who also had to take charge of her life, becomes his inspiration. The story has some lovely characters such as Ivy’s sister and also Sebastian’s. With plotting from the siblings, and other well meaning relatives and friends, Sebastian discovers his true worth and place in life.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I like to read the occasional historical romance and this one looked like it would be worth a try. This is the first book in the Hazards of Dukes series and I thought that it kicked off the new series quite well. I was hooked by this story in the first few pages and found the book to be a very pleasant read. I am so glad that I decided to pick up this book.
Sebastian, Duke of Hasford, finds his life changed through no fault of his own. Because of a lie his mother told, he is no longer a Duke. He had his life figured out before but now he must find a new path. He has to learn how to do a lot of things for himself that have always been done for him. He is up to the task and doesn’t want help from his cousin who is the new Duke or his friend who happens to be a Duke.
Ivy runs a gaming club, Miss Ivy’s. Her club is a little different in that she expects debts to be settled right away and anyone who can pay is allowed to play. Ivy was once considered a Lady but she decided to gamble to win back her future which was lost by her father. Ivy’s won that card game and her freedom but it changed how others looked at her. She is very competent to run the club and is surrounded by a very dedicated staff but she decided to take a chance and offer a job to Sebastian.
I really liked Ivy and Sebastian. They have both had to deal with some pretty big changes in their lives and are doing what they can to move forward. They are both very invested in making sure that their loved ones get the best in life. I loved the chemistry that they shared and I really liked the way they were able to work as a pair. These two just seemed to fit with each other perfectly.
I thought that the premise of the story was rather unique and very well done. I really enjoyed being with Sebastian as he learned to navigate his new life. He really had a lot to deal with and I think he made the best of things. There was some excitement in the story to keep things interesting. The secondary characters in this book were wonderful and I hope to see more of them in future books.
I would recommend this book to fans of historical romances. I thought that this was a well-done romance with wonderful characters. I can’t wait to read more of this wonderful series!
I received an advanced review copy of this book from HarperCollins – Avon.
This is a poignant beginning to this series, with a duke who isn’t and his adjustment to life without power and money. After discovering that he is disinherited because of his mother’s lies, Sebastian de Silva goes to work in Miss Ivy Holton’s gambling hall. The struggles of this ex-duke to find his way after losing all he knew is really touching. The strong connection between him and Ivy, who also had to change the trajectory of her life, makes this a powerful love story. The secondary characters add to the depth of this charming story, which really shows characters who grow and become better versions of themselves — especially when they are together. Beautiful start to the series — another winner by Megan Frampton! (I received a copy from NetGalley, in return for my honest review.)
Never Kiss a Duke by Megan Frampton is the First book in the A Hazards of Dukes Series. This is the story of Sebastian and Ivy Holton. Sebastian has been the Duke of Hasford until he was one day called into the solicitor’s office. There he was told that his parents marriage was not valid which means he is not the true Duke. Sebastian learns his cousin Thaddeus is to be the new Duke. Thaddeus has promised to take care of Ana Maria who is a half-sister. Being lost as what to do next he ends up with his friend Nash (who is also a Duke) they both end up at Ivy’s Gambling Hall. Ivy was once a daughter of a Baron but that father gambled her hand in marriage away to a man. Ivy turned the page on both of them by gambling herself and winning her hand back. This of course ruined her reputation but for Ivy freedom was better. When she was able to she opened the gambling hall for her and her sister to make money so that they would have better choices especially her sister. Sparks fly between Ivy and Sebastian but they sear to a business relationship but of course how long can they ignore their feelings? Enjoyed their story!
Sebastian, Duke of Hasford, has a title, wealth, privilege, and plenty of rakish charm. Until he discovers the only thing that truly belongs to him is his charm. An accident of birth has turned him into plain Mr. de Silva. Now, Sebastian is flummoxed as to what to do with his life—until he stumbles into a gambling den owned by Miss Ivy, a most fascinating young lady, who hires him on the spot.
Two years ago, Ivy gambled everything that was precious to her—and won. Now the owner of London’s most intriguing gambling house, Ivy is competent, assured, and measured. Until she meets Mr. de Silva, who stirs feelings she didn’t realize she had.
This is the first in a new series & whilst in itself is a thoroughly enjoyable read it also introduces us to secondary characters who I hope will have their own stories. I was drawn in from the start & gripped until the end. Well written with strong characters & a story that flows really well. I loved the chemistry between Sebastian & Ivy as well as how their relationship developed. I look forward to more books in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This is an unusual story. Two peers who have lost their peer status. One runs a gaming house and the other goes to work there. The twist is that the heroine, Ivy, runs the gaming house and the ex-duke, Sebastian, goes to work for her. Sebastian must reinvent himself and in doing so he finds he must compromise to get the woman he loves. I look forward to the next book which is Nash and Ana Maria’s story. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
Well the first Hazard of a Duke is when you find you are no longer one and that is where the hero Sebastian comes in! Since it is usually the opposite, I really enjoyed this twist and was anxious to see how he would handle the situation. Instead of just hanging out with the new Duke and his sister, he decides to take a job at a gaming house.
Ivy has had her own problems, like being gambled away by her father, a baron, but in her own twist won herself back. Yes, she gambled with the man that had won her. Then she opened her own gaming house and had been pretty successful.
After Sebastian’s friend Nash takes him to Miss Ivy’s, one thing leads to another and he ends up working for her.
A truly delightful story with several twist and turns and fun secondary characters I look forward to seeing again. I think this is a great start to this new series and cannot wait for the next one!
I enjoyed this book but will freely admit that it also left me a bit unsatisfied. I really liked Sebastian and Ivy. They were both interesting characters and I loved their chemistry. I loved the backstories on each of these characters. I have read a few other books with historical heroines similar to Ivy but not many, so there was a freshness to this character. As for Sebastian situation, I thought that was quite unique and I found it very intriguing. The writing was good but I do wish that there had been a more meaty story line. Honestly, things flowed along almost like a lazy river. It wasn’t awful just a bit bland for my taste. Still, I liked this book well enough to want to read more books from this author and from this series in particular because there were some interesting secondary characters that I would love to get to know better.
I loved the idea of Sebastian losing his title, through no fault of his own, and Ivy being her own woman in spite of her tragedy. Then I was kind of lost. The story was just there. No angst and no real connection in my opinion. I also appreciated that his friends stayed with him and would not give Sebastian the cut direct and Sebastian’s love for his sister was the highlight of the story for me. There were parts of the story that I really enjoyed but this was just an okay read for me because I wanted to like it so much more.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.