Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔 (It’s a short story)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ (It’s very instalove)
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (I wanted them just a bit more developed)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (As per the usual – I wanted these scenes a bit longer)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: He sees her out a window at 18%, actually meeting is 21%
Cliffhanger: No, it ends with a happily ever after for the couple
Epilogue: No
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy in e-book form from the author (thank you!) though I’m a bit late

“Maybe I should be. You have been a bad girl, Astrid.” His hand gripped her waist. Her supple curves. He wanted to sink his teeth into her.
“I-I-”
“Just answer one question. How bad have you been?”

Should I read in order?
Ideally yes? This heroine is a bit of a ‘villain’ from some of the other books. Piers’ books are all in the same ‘universe’. Hope is a side character in this story, and her brothers stories are the Ashborne series. If you want to read in order, I’d at least read the Dukes for Christmas Fairytales series. If you don’t mind some side character mention though, this is totally readable alone for the romance.

Basic plot:
Michael has made assumptions about Astrid and wants nothing to do with her – but they are forced together at a holiday house party

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- instalove
- house party
- holiday vibes
- short story
- second chance-ish – Astrid and Michael first meet a few years prior and reconnect at a holiday party
- average novella steam – 1 full scene plus some kisses

Ages:
- didn’t see them mentioned? Would guess mid to late 20s for both

First line:
Some people deserve their reputation.

My thoughts:
Oh my gosh. This book shocked me! Miss Piers! I was about to kind of get the ick from Michael’s prudishness and unfair treatment of Astrid. I was SO mad at him. But….then he was telling her she was a bad girl and needed a spanking and I swear my mouth fell open. And I loved that!

But I wanted it a bit more rounded out. Maybe I wanted that scene to continue. I liked this story, and I like that it’s shorter, but I think her stories can feel really fast and I’m left wanting just a touch more. But I really loved the direction this book went in, with a touch of naughtiness. And I loved the twist on having a villain heroine that’s reformed.

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 19
Average rating (of 5): 4.26
Favorite book: Probably The Blighter and the Bluestocking (I still think about a certain desk scene)

Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own

His solid body was close behind her. Too close. She could feel his chest against her back. His chin in her hair. And his...hardness at the top of her bum.
She shivered. “Michael.” One hoarse word.
“Astrid,” he whispered, “what are you doing to me?”
“Me?” Gradually, she arched back into him. “What are you doing?”
His groan caused her nipples to tingle. “I could be doing so much more.”
A whimper escaped her lips.
“Sh. Someone might hear you.”
 

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- death of a sibling

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

 
Safe sex: 

  I don’t believe so 

 
Hows the consent? 

  It’s good 

 
28% - kiss
49% - spanking, kisses
70% - kisses
78% - 🔥 oral for her, missionary