The Duke of Griffin has never lived down his reputation as one of the Rakes of St. James. Now rumors are swirling that his twin sisters may bear the brunt of his past follies. Hiring a competent chaperone is the only thing Griffin has on his mind–until he meets the lovely and intriguing Miss Esmeralda Swift. In ways he could never have expected, she arouses more than just his curiosity.

Esmeralda Swift considered herself too sensible to ever fall for a scoundrel, but that was before she met the irresistibly seductive Duke of Griffin. His employment offer proves too tempting for her to resist. She can’t afford to be distracted by his devilish charms because the stakes are so high for his sisters’ debut Season. . .unless one of London’s most notorious rakes has had a change of heart and is ready to make Esmeralda his bride?

Titles in The Rakes of St. James series include:  Last Night With The Duke –

Title:  Last Night With The Duke
Series:  The Rakes of St. James #1
Author:  Amelia Grey
Genre:  Regency Romance
Published:  March 7, 2017
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Paperbacks
My Rating:  3 stars

I found Last Night With The Duke to be a good story – I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it but I certainly had trouble connecting to either main character.  I don’t mind in the least to use my imagination with some couples, believing in the.. “Okay, maybe that could happen” type of reading logic.  Griffin and Esmeralda simply didn’t spend enough time getting to know even a bit beyond the surface, and I simply could not stretch enough to see them as a couple falling in love in spite of the circumstances they each find themselves in.

I did something I don’t normally do which is check out other reviews of this book.  I don’t like to do that until after I post my review – but I really wanted to know if it was just me that wasn’t getting this couple.  I found mixed reviews – some loved it, some hated it and some were like me, in the middle.

It comes down to a simple fact that I couldn’t believe in the relationship of this couple enough to see them as in love or having a happy ever after.  I wish I felt differently – but I don’t, and that does make me feel badly.  It’s obvious there is an audience who loved this story – so you’ll need to make up your own mind on this one.  After all, a review is just one person’s opinion.  I’ll stick with my feeling of a good book and leave it at that.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

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