3.5 stars-- A Duke in the Night (The Devils of Dover, #1) by Kelly Bowen

Well hello yummy cover!

The Gist:

When his sister sneaks away in the middle of the night August figures he can just kill two birds with one stone-- hunt down his handful of a sister and suss out a new business opportunity. The school for young ladies where he finds her? Way more than meets the eye and quite possibly something that will change both of their lives forever.



August and Clara, well, neither is really what you'd expect. A once homeless duke with a knack for reviving failing businesses and a headmistress who's pupils are schooled in oh so scandalous endeavors.

I quite liked August. He's no nonsense, all about business and creating security for his family. He's not perfect and could be a bit obsessive with his work but I understood where he was coming from. Years living on the street and fighting to survive did a number on him.

Clara, though, we would not be each other's people. lol She's strong, independent and opinionated...almost to a fault. She jumps to conclusions, sees the worst in others (namely August) and constantly got her dander up. Which is exhausting as all hell. We eventually got along but it was a trial. lol

I think my main issue--other than the historical having a very very modern feel to it-- was that the heroine was constantly judging the hero for trying to change his sister into a proper young lady while at the same time she was trying to turn him into someone he wasn't. She was just so hypocritical. So I had a hard time with their romance. I didn't hate them together but had a hard time seeing the spark between them or why they'd want to be with each other..other than all those lusty endeavors.

All in all, A Duke in the Night wasn't a perfect read for me but it was one that kept me reading. I enjoyed it overall-- the hero and setting and seeing both of them in their elements doing business and teaching. I loved seeing his hidden facets and in the end I did want them together and happy. So a win.

Duke. Scoundrel. Titan of business. August Faulkner is a man of many talents, not the least of which is enticing women into his bedchamber. He’s known—and reviled—for buying and selling companies, accumulating scads of money, and breaking hearts. It’s a reputation he wears like a badge of honor, and one he intends to keep.

Clara Hayward, the headmistress of the Haverhall School for Young Ladies, on the other hand, is above reproach. Yet when she’s reunited with August, all she can think of is the way she felt in his arms as they danced a scandalous waltz ten long years ago. Even though her head knows that he is only back in her life to take over her family’s business, her heart can’t help but open to the very duke who could destroy it for good.

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