Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋 (There were things I didn’t love about this book, but there were still some scenes that grabbed my heart! I felt the angst and had some heartbreak and longing with the characters)
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 (While I did get frustrated with the hero, I thought both characters did romantic things for each other and there was a lot of sweet moments in this story!)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 (I -LOVE- Bradley’s kisses and intimate scenes. Love love love. This book was a bit lighter than some of her others I’ve read, but still had so much I crave in romance scenes)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 ( I love how much time Bradley spends on her kisses and intimate scenes. They get so emotional and I get so wrapped up in them – LOVE!)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥 (I might have missed one??? I only have one in my notes but it’s weird to me there wasn’t a penetration on page...)
Humor: A bit – more if you like that enemies to lovers banter play
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: pretty soon in, about 3%
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: yes, about 2 years later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form (thank you!) that I’m a bit late on.
Why I chose this book: I LOVE Anna Bradley. She’s one of my favorite writers so I will always read her books!

Should I read in order?
I don’t think it’s necessary. The mains from the other 2 books are at the house party within this book, but the main focus is on the main couple. Maybe you get a better feel for Grantham (the hero) if you read the series in order -I’ll admit I didn’t pay a lot of attention to him in book 2 when I read it haha.

Basic plot:
Maxwell Burke wants Hammond Court back after his father wagered it away – except he isn’t ready for the feisty Rose St. Claire that is within residence.

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency – 1819
- English countryside setting – Gloucestershire
- class difference – hero is a duke, heroine is an adoptive daughter of a gambler
- sunshine (her) and grump (him) vibes
- close proximity – the hero and heroine were each given half of a house and also are together at a house party
- bespectacled hero
- house party
- holiday vibes – this has a winter/snowy country backdrop and includes Twelfth Night and Christmas celebrations – ice skating and sleigh rides too ;)
- bit of a size difference (taller hero)
- rags to riches
- lower steam – I believe there’s a few kisses and one full scene?

Ages:
- hero is around 31, heroine is 21

First line:
He shouldn’t have come here.

My thoughts:
Sadly, I was a bit disappointed in this one – I adored book 2 of this series.

This one, I loved the idea of it – I like revenge plots (this hero was enemies with the heroine’s father), and I love the close proximity of being in a house that both characters want. But, the beginning felt really repetitive to me and I got a bit bored. I struggled with the hero – he was a bit of a jerk, which I can get behind, but he held onto it a bit too long for me.

But still, this one had elements that I loved in it. Some of the scenes gave me those angsty feels I am always chasing in Bradley’s books, and I really appreciated the all is lost ending and make up.

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 16
Average rating: 4.19 stars
Favorite book: Maybe Lady Eleanor’s Seventh Suitor (with Way to Win a Wicked Earl a close second)

Quotes - any typos are my own! I also am reviewing an early ARC copy so there may be minor differences from finished publishing

Bradley is one that describes her characters in ways I love!

Whoever was inside felt no urgency to alight, but left his coachman standing on the drive, his greatcoat flapping about in the wind, and snowflakes gathering on his shoulders, until finally, finally, a long leg encased in a pair of fitted, dark gray pantaloons appeared, ending in a shiny black boot with handsome gold tassels.
A large, immaculately gloved hand landed on the top edge of the door, and then the rest of the man unfolded himself from the carriage. He turned to say something to his coachman, then marched up the drive until he was standing directly belowh her window.
Rose sucked in a breath. The man was undoubtedly the owner of the carriage.
He was...goodness, she’d never seen anything like him before. His face was partially obscured by the brim of an elegant beaver hat, but she caught a glimpse of a straight, aristocratic nose and a mass of thick, dark hair. He was exceptionally tall and broad-shouldered as well, perhaps the largest and most ideally formed gentleman she’d ever laid eyes on, the power of his body tightly leashed, like a coiled spring.
---
Especially men the size of the Duke of Grantham, whose sheer magnitude made her perfectly serviceable kitchen feel as if belonged in a doll’s house.
Why, the man’s legs alone seemed to stretch for miles.
---
They stared at each other, the moment going on and on, heavy with the crackling tension between them. He was dimly aware of the room falling silent, of his servants’ curious glances, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the curve of her parted lips. Heat thrummed through his veins, unfurling in his belly. He flexed his fingerings, digging his nails into his palsm to keep from reaching for her, and dragging the back of his knuckles across the soft, warm skin of her cheek.
What would her lips taste like?
Cinnamon and sugar, sweet, dark teacle -
“Your Grace?” She swallowed, her slender throat rippling. “The t-tea cakes?”
 

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

- father being an alcoholic and wagering family items and property away is a plot point
- parental death/adoptive parent death and grief
- scenes of gun use and firing (no injuries)
Author content warnings? No

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:

 
Safe sex: 

I don't recall any penetrative sex

 
Hows the consent? 

It's good!

 
Pregnancy/children in story? (Please note this is the best to my memory/note taking. If you see something I missed please feel free to message!) 

  There’s some minor scenes with a child side character, but pregnancy isn’t talked about and doesn’t occur on page 

 
48% - kiss
64% - kiss
72% - kisses, fingering for her