Early Review of If the Viscount Falls (The Duke's Men, #4) by Sabrina Jeffries

Title: If the Viscount Falls
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Duke's Men  (Book 4)
Format: Paperback; 400 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (January 27, 2015)
ISBN-10: 1476786046
ISBN-13: 978-1476786049

Author's Website: http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/
Notes: I received an eARC loan from the publisher. I am part of Sabrina Jeffries Street Team which means I love her books enough to volunteer to help get the word out about upcoming releases.

Once upon a time Dominick 'Dom' Manton had the world by the tail. He was on the fast track to becoming a barrister and had a fiance he loved and adored. Then his vindictive brother, George, made him choose between the life he was meant to lead and the half brother he loved. George decreed that if Dom didn't help him find the whereabouts of Tristan, their illegitimate half-brother, he wouldn't support him. Dom refused and that effectively ended his endeavors to become a barrister. Tristan had stolen a horse bequeathed to him in their father's codicil which George burned so he wouldn't have to honor it. The punishment for horse thievery is death and if Tristan had been found he'd have been sentenced to the hangman's noose. Along with Tristan's inheritance, Dom's own and that of their illegitimate sister also went up in smoke when the codicil was burned. So by not aiding George, Dom's path was irrevocably changed until now.

With George's recent demise, Dominick is set to step into the roll of Viscount which will allow him the opportunity to get some of what he lost back. Will that include the fiance he had to let go when his path in life took a drastic curve? As the two pair up to find out what happened to Nancy, Jane's cousin and George's widow, they'll get the opportunity to become reacquainted. Will Jane and Dom finally have a shot at the happy ever after that never was?

This is sadly the last book in The Duke's Men series, but Ms. Jeffries saved the best for last. For years we've known the sacrifice Dom made for his family, but we never knew the full extent until now. Ms. Jeffries does an excellent job of capturing the emotions that would accompany a broken courtship that neither party truly wanted. The heartache, the questions, the feelings of betrayal and regret are all beautifully portrayed within the pages as the tale unfolds. 

Dom is the exact opposite of his late brother George. He's loyal, caring, noble and the type of man who when he falls, he falls hard. He's never gotten over Jane, but never did anything to renew their courtship even after he made a name for himself as the successful owner of Manton Investigations. He honestly felt she would be better off without him. The problem was he never really gave Jane a chance to decide what she wanted for herself. He made that decision for her.

Jane knew some of what happened all those years ago, but never the full extent. She'd figured out what Dom had done to end their engagement and waited patiently for him to come to his senses. Yet in all those years he never had. Finally believing he hadn't felt the same way as she, she agreed to marry another man. When she and Dom start working together to find Nancy, however, it becomes clear that old feelings run deep.

I couldn't help but give this one 5 out of 5 roses. I loved seeing these two work through all the feelings they had and sort through everything that did and did not happen between them. The chemistry between this pair was combustible and I loved the merry dance these two did before all was said and done. If you're worried about disliking this one because one of the pair is engaged to another, don't. That was more of a platonic relationship built out of mutual respect for one another than love and there were no hard feelings so it didn't distract from the romance. In addition to the romance, I loved the mystery of what happened to Nancy. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of the series:

Early Review of How the Scoundrel Seduces (The Duke's Men, #3) by Sabrina Jeffries

Title: How the Scoundrel Seduces (The Duke's Men)
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Duke's Men
Format: Paperback; 416 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (August 19, 2014)
ISBN-10: 1451693494
ISBN-13: 978-1451693492
Author's website: http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/
Notes: Received an eARC loan from the publisher.

Lady Zoe Keane is not your average Lady of the ton. She stands to inherit a sizable fortune, title and all the land that goes with it, plus a seat in the House of  Lords. Regardless of who she does or doesn't marry, as her father's only direct heir she will become a Countess. That is, unless the seeds of doubt her aunt planted about her parentage turn out to be true. In a desperate attempt to get to the truth of the matter, she hires Manton Investigations, nicknamed  the Duke's Men, to find out if the deep, dark secret her family has supposedly been keeping from her since birth has any grain of truth to it. Her one hope in hiring the prestigious agency is that Tristan Bonnaud, one of the agency's investigators, is not the person who will end up working with her. He has a habit of rubbing her the wrong way.

Tristan Bonnaud is a man with a mission--to dig up some dirt on his half brother, George, the Viscount Rathmoor, and drag his name through the mud. The feud between the two has been going on for years and came to a head thirteen years ago when George deprived his siblings, both legitimate and illegitimate, of their rightful inheritance when he burnt the codicil their father had written on his deathbed. The only thing that might stand in Tristan's way of getting his revenge is Lady Zoe Keane and her silly quest to find a gypsy woman named Drina who may hold the key to the family's skeleton in the closet. A man used to having women fall for him, the fact that Zoe show's no sign of doing so unsettles him.Working for her is not something he is looking forward to. While his view of London society, with their better than everyone else attitude, is not a high one, he soon realizes her case may be the perfect guise to hide his own inquiries from his family.

Sabrina Jeffries has created another wonderful romance that left me smiling and wanting more. Thank goodness the next book is scheduled to come out in January. While you could probably get by with diving directly into this, the third book of the series, I highly recommend you don't and read the books in their proper order. The growth in Tristan's character is more apparent if you start with the first. Additionally, you'll miss out on Lady Zoe's and Tristan's first meeting if you don't read the second book in the series.

Tristan Bonnaud is from the wrong side of the tracks. A bastard by birth accused of horse thievery with a reputation of being a scoundrel with the ladies. In a nutshell, he's a father's worst nightmare. However, not everything is as it appears and that is certainly the case with Tristan. He's truly a complicated and misunderstood individual with family issues that need to be resolved. Years ago he did what he needed to to survive and keep his family (mother and sister) from being homeless and left to starve. As his father had meant for him to have the thoroughbred named Blue Blazes (the horse had been left to him in the codicil his brother burnt), he sold the horse and used the money to get his mother, sister, and himself to France where his mother's family resided. While we've heard of the events which transpired that fateful night when their father Ambrose Manton, the former Viscount Rathmoor, died, we finally get to see exactly what happened and I rather enjoyed this.

Zoe is an interesting character. She's grown up knowing her place in society was secure. Because of this, she's colorful, outspoken, and surprisingly well respected among her peers. All that could change if what her aunt told her turns out to be true. Instead of marrying whom she wants, to keep her standing in society she may need to marry her cousin who is next in line after her to inherit the family title and whom she's never met. Not one to wait in the wings, she expects Tristan to take her with when he does his investigating. What ensues is a delightfully fun situation where Tristan attempts to seduce Zoe only to show his true colors and have the tables turned on him. I simply adored this.

I couldn't help but give this one 5 out of 5 roses. It was fun and smartly written with a dramatic ending. I loved the sexual tension between Zoe and Tristan. Each was attracted to each other, but knew giving  into that desire could have major consequences. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating leaning toward a SHOWER--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of the series:

Early Review of When the Rogue Returns (The Duke's Men, #2) by Sabrina Jeffries

Title: When the Rogue Returns (The Duke's Men)
Series: The Duke's Men
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Paperback; 400 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (January 21, 2014)
ISBN-10: 1451693486
ISBN-13: 978-1451693485
Notes: I received and eARC loan from the publisher and am a member of Pamela's street team. In other words, I love her books so much that I've volunteered to help her get out the word about upcoming releases.

Ten years ago after a week of marriage Isabella was abandoned by her husband.
Ten years ago Victor was betrayed by his wife.
Ten years ago the jewel heist of the century took place and a web of lies was weaved ensnaring a pair of unwitting victims.
Ten years ago the lives of two individuals were thrown off course and irrevocably changed.
After ten years, the truth is about to set them free...

Isabella 'Isa' is a smart and strong woman. Ten years ago Isabella found herself alone and pregnant. After escaping from her sister and brother-in-law, she managed to find a job with a jeweler who specialized in the manufacturing of imitation jewelry. Her sister and brother-in-law had orchestrated a jewelry heist from Isa's former employer using the fake jewelry she'd crafted. She'd wanted no part in the heist, but once the imitations had been created there was no stopping it. Isa had tried, but she'd been out maneuvered by the pair.  After waiting four months for her husband to appear, she'd come to the realization he'd taken his portion of the proceeds and abandoned her.  Desperate to make sure she wouldn't be involved in any future heists, she'd left all but her belongings behind in an attempt to start anew. A gutsy move for a pregnant eighteen year old woman.

Victor is a kind, loyal, honest and trustworthy individual. Ten years ago his wife betrayed him and left him behind to clean up the mess she'd made. He'd had to face the police and the knowledge his wife had set him up to be the scapegoat. At first he refused to believe she'd played any role in the heist, but as weeks turned to months he realized just how wrong he'd been about her. Over the years, he's looked for her, but it was like she'd disappeared into thin air. Now, while working on a case for Manton's Investigations, he's been asked to check into the background of a woman.  A woman who with each new bit of information, sounds more and more like his wife, who played him for a fool. Could he have finally found her? Will retribution finally be his?

This was both a charming and heartbreaking tale that I just adored. I loved both Victor and Isabella from the very beginning. It was fun seeing these two jockey for position at the beginning while trying to fight the feelings each still had for the other. It was heart wrenching to see them uncover what happened all those years ago and come to the realization of what had been done to them and what had been lost. I absolutely adored how they had to build up their trust for one another and attempt to figure out where they as a couple stood. I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses. A total and utter book seduction for me. This one is going on my keeper.  On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a  STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of the series:

What the Duke Desires (The Duke's Men, #1) by Sabrina Jeffries

Title: What the Duke Desires (Duke's Men)
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Duke's Men
Format: Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (June 18, 2013)
ISBN-10: 145169346X
ISBN-13: 978-1451693461
Author's Website: http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/
Notes: I bought the kindle version, borrowed an audio version from the library, and received a signed copy at RWA. I should also confess I love Ms. Jeffries' books so much I volunteered to be on her street team. So yes, I highly recommend her books.        

Once upon a time a little girl grew up with parents unmarried. Her father was a man who promised much, but never followed through. He promised to marry her mother one day. He promised to send her to school. He promised to take her riding. He promised to take care of them, but he always put off till tomorrow what he should have done today; until one day the man ran out of tomorrows and the little girl grew up knowing what a man's promises were truly worth--absolutely nothing. So she grew up knowing the only one who would truly look out for her was herself and vowed never to let herself fall under the thumb of a man like her mother had. Never to put her fate in the hands of another because she knew that the making of a promise didn't automatically guarantee that it would be kept. She was determined to avoid marriage at all costs.

Once upon a time there was a little boy who lived in fear that he would one day go quite mad. His father and great uncle had, and he'd watched his mother, who had loved his father dearly, pay the price. He'd vowed he'd never do that to someone he loved and would, therefore, never marry for love, if he ever married at all. He believed his family cursed and steeled himself for a very lonely and loveless existence.

Over the years the boy grew into a handsome dashing young Duke and the little girl grew into a smart and beautiful young woman. Then one day the Duke met the young woman, and try as they might, everything changed...

Who says happy endings never happen? 

Sometimes with love you have to take a leap of faith and not only want it, but let yourself have it.

This was such a fun story. I read it and then listened to the audio version and absolutely adored Lisette. She is strong and independent yet still very feminine. She's loyal, a touch naive, and a bit mischievous. As I listened to the audio version, an image of Audrey Hepburn, one of my all time favorite actresses, came to mind. Corrie James did an excellent job of narrating the book and managed to create several different feminine and masculine voices giving it the feel that a full cast of individuals had been engaged allowing one to easily lose one's self within the story.

After what her mother and family went through upon her father's death, Lisette intends never to marry. She believes men are unreliable and too quick to make promises they may or may not keep. Her father's lack of delivering on his promises altered the course of her life in such a way that she hasn't truly forgiven or forgotten. As her mother had to take care of their family single-handedly, she believes she can survive without a man to lean on as well. Plus, her half-brother (her father's legitimate heir) George's betrayal when he denied his siblings their inheritance and refused to acknowledge her or her brother as being family further soured her on men. It's her indifference to men and  marriage that makes her bolder and more forthright than the average woman of the day. When something bothers her, she lets a person know. She dreams one day to become an investigator for either her half brother Dominick, the youngest legitimate son who was also cut off from the family fortune by his eldest brother, or for the man who her brother Tristan worked for in France.

Max is a very honorable, noble, stubborn, and infuriating (in Lisette's eyes) man. His family's history of madness makes some view him as they would a leper, but his fortune and status in society still makes him the target of those who covet such things. When he receives a note from Lisette's brother, Tristan, stating he may have found the Duke's long lost older brother, he fears another gold digger has come a calling at his door. The thought is strengthened when Tristan doesn't show up to the assigned meeting spot. Infuriated and determined not to be the victim of another con artist Max seeks out Tristan at his brother Dominick's townhouse where he finds Lisette. He's convince Tristan is up to no good. Lisette is convinced he's innocent and together they set out to find the only person who can prove one of them correct, that being Tristan who resides in Paris.

 Overall, I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses. I adored witnessing the battle of wills between Max and Lisette as they fought for what they wanted. I loved  how each had preconceived notions about the other that had to be broken down before they could see the other person as they truly were. Plus, I enjoyed the warm humor which can always be found sewn into the fabric of each of Ms. Jeffries' tales leaving me with a grin on my face and a smile in my eyes. On the Lisarenee Romance rating scale, this one receives a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed. It should be noted this one leaned quite strongly towards getting a SHOWER rating. :) This one is definitely going on my keeper shelf.