The Duke of Desire

Robert Smithton, Duke of Roseford is known for his lusty appetites and his cold, cold heart. Still thanks to his title and his fortune, everyone wants him and he’s bored of it all. He wants something, but he cannot place what exactly that is. Until he meets Katherine, the Countess of Gainsworth. Katherine was in an arranged marriage to an old man who died when they were making love, She is just returning to Society. Although scandal follows her, so does interest, as the men of Society wonder about her prowess if it could kill a man. When Robert begins to pursue her, she is horrified. After all, she blames him for the circumstances that sent her into her loveless marriage in the first place. When Katherine ignores him, Robert only pushes harder and ultimately she begins to wonder if revenge is a dish best served through desire. They find themselves at James & Emma's house party both thinking they’d gone there to avoid each other. This is the ninth book in this brilliant series & is another keeper. It could be read on its own but to fully appreciate it I'd recommend reading the whole series, all the Dukes of the 1797 club have had enthralling stories. Robert hides behind the face of a libertine & only as he falls in love does he reveal his secrets. Katherine also has her secrets & hides her hurt & low self esteem behind her society face. Together they find each other the ability to love. It’s an engrossing read of enemies to lovers to friends, the story is well paced & doesn’t lag at all, the characters are well rounded & throughout the series it’s been so satisfying to still engage with the others in the club & how both the Dukes & their wives all band together to help others in need. Robert & Katherine are physically attracted to each other but it's their conversations which are sometimes funny & other times very moving as they open up to each other. My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

The Duke of Desire by Jess Michaels The 1797 Club #9 You know that series that you have on your bookshelf or stored in your ereader that you would not part with and that you tend to reread from time to time? I do believe this is one of those for me. I am hoping it will end up in a boxed set so that I can download all ten books at one time and then take them out to savor over and over again. Why? Because these stories are just that good! The boys, now men, who form the 1797 Club as youth while away at boarding school have become friends for life and are there for one another no matter what. Sometimes they may argue or not see eye to eye BUT they are closer than brothers that share the same blood and highly regarded as a force to be reckoned with. Robert Smithton, Duke or Roseford is a self-proclaimed and publically known libertine and a hedonist to the core. His friends in the 1797 Club know there is a heart of gold hiding inside of him but so far they have been unable to bring it forth except periodically. He is there for his friends but can’t see himself being other than what he is and really has no desire to change even though all but he and another in the club are now happily married with families of their own. Katherine, Countess of Gainesworth, was once Miss Montague and out for her second season when her father determined that it was in her best interest to marry someone older and pious rather than being allowed the liberty of falling in love and with a man of her own choice – a man she could love and be happy with. A few years later she is suddenly widowed in a scandalous way. She does her time of mourning and then takes her first step into society only to find that the scandal surrounding her husband’s death may preclude her from really socializing with and being part of the group she has wanted to rejoin for such a long time. The first time she is out for the evening the whispers begin, sordid stories are shared about, noses are looked down, women hiss and some men make wagers hoping to win the prize for bedding Katherine first. One of those men is Robert – a man Katherine has demonized for years – a man she blames for her father’s decision to marry the man she did not want. This is the story of the woman who managed not to be broken despite a father and husband trying to mold her to their beliefs about what a “good woman” should be like and it is also the story of a man who always thought that love was not for him for reasons he has not previously shared with anyone. The two end up at a ten-day house party in the country and find that perhaps they might have a reason not to avoid one another. As they spend time in one another’s company Katherine sees more of the “true” Robert and Robert begins to feel the ice around his heart thawing. There are of course ups and downs, problems to overcome and truths to seek within themselves before Katherine and Robert arrive at their so deserved happily ever after. Thank you to NetGalley and The Passionate Pen for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars

Here we go again with one of those amazing members of the 1797 Club! This has been a great series that I look forward to as each book is released. This one is about Robert Smithton, Duke of Roseford and Lady Katherine Gainsworth. Katherine is finally out of her mourning period for her late husband and is ready to reenter society. But society is hard on her when they whisper about how her husband had died in bed with her. That starts a bet to see which gentleman can bed her first. Yes, crass I know but in those times and gentlemen being what they were! Robert, one of the worst rogues there is approaches her to be his lover. What he has forgotten is they have a history together and she hates him. But of course Robert does not give up and keeps pursuing her. All I can say is Jess Michaels has really brought these characters alive and I could feel the tense moments and angst as these two try to come together. Prepare to feel a whirlwind of emotions and heartfelt sighs. Although part of a series, this can be read as a standalone, but trust me, you want to read them all!! Cannot wait until the next story