“In Tessa Dare’s dazzling new trilogy,
the men of the Stud Club live and play by their own rules – until passion
changes the game.
“The bastard son of a nobleman, Julian
Bellamy is now polished to perfection, enthralling the ton with wit and charm
while clandestinely plotting to ruin the lords, ravish the ladies, and have the
last laugh on a society that once spurned him. But after meeting Leo
Chatwick, a decent man and founder of an elite gentleman’s club, and Lily,
Leo’s enchanting sister, Julian reconsiders his wild ways. And when Leo’s
tragic murder demands that Julian hunt for justice, he vows to see the woman he
secretly loves married to a man of her own class.
“Lily, however, has a very different
husband in mind. She’s loved Julian forever, adores the man beneath the
rakish façade, and wants to savor the delicious attraction they share – as his
wife. His insistence on marrying her off only reinforces her intent to
prove that he is the only man for her. Obsessed with catching a killer, Julian
sinks back to the gutters of his youth, forcing Lilt to reach out with a sweet,
reckless passion Julian can’t resist. Can her desire for a scoundrel save
them both – or will dangerous secrets threaten more than their tender love?”
I brought this book on my honeymoon back
in June (Yes – I’m now a married woman! Planning a wedding was just one
more thing that took up my time over the last year and kept me from posting
these reviews!) This book was an easy read – perfect for lying out on the
beach or by the pool while sipping a pina colada or strawberry daiquiri.
(Writing this makes me want to go back…) I had already enjoyed the first
two installments in this trilogy, so it only made sense to bring the third
along on the plane and enjoy while winding down from all of the wedding
planning chaos. As always, Tessa Dare’s writing style is pleasant, easy
to read, and overall enjoyable. She makes for a nice author to enjoy if
you want a good, mindless, pleasant read. (This is, of course, not to say
that her writing is sub-par in any way; only that she is easy to follow and
entertaining.)
As always, Dare has crafted a creative
story with interesting characters. I will readily admit that I was wrong
in my assessment of Julian from the first book in this trilogy. I found
him extremely enjoyable and entertaining in this story – the one in which he is
finally the male lead. His chemistry with his female counterpart, Lily,
was electric. I found myself falling for Julian as the story went on (not
something a VERY recently married woman should probably admit to happening
while she was on her honeymoon!). He was endearing, surprisingly sweet,
and I loved the way he handled Lily’s deafness and his interactions with
her. His dedication to finding Leo’s killers was very honorable.
Contrary to the other books in this series, I found Lily to be equally as
strong and interesting a main character. In the other books, there was
either a strongly developed male lead and a less-developed female lead, or
visa-versa; this was not the case in this story. I was just as interested
in Lily as I was in Julian. Once again, Dare has successfully created
characters with compelling backstories and unique traits. Julian’s secret
life was creative and interesting; Dare handled it extremely well. Lily’s
deafness was handled so well that I did not feel any pity for her; I saw her as
a strong, capable woman. While Julian was acutely aware of Lily’s
deafness, he looked out for her instead of babying her. I particularly
enjoyed the moments where he took advantage of her deafness to tell her
everything he didn’t dare say to her face. Their romance was
well-developed and fun to read.
The connecting thread – Leo’s murder and
the fate of the Stud Club – obviously remains in this story. The mystery,
however, comes to a very shocking conclusion – one I really did not see
coming! Well done, Dare! I’m not an easy reader to lead astray and
she’s managed to do this two times in this series. This trilogy is definitely
worth the read.
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