Scan barcode
A review by rjordan19
Duchess If You Dare by Anabelle Bryant
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 (Once we got to the scenes I did like the way they were written, but in this one the build up wasn’t there for me so it just wasn’t as strong)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine (And also some minor part from hero’s brother?)
More character focused or plot focused? plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: It felt like it took a bit, about 9% (chapter 3)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, 2 months later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley that is now officially as old as a dinosaur (I’m a few years late...)
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Bryant’s Maidens of Mayhem series.
Basic plot:
Scarlett is out to solve a mystery involving missing persons when she crosses the path of Ambrose Cross
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (my assumption)
- London setting
- mystery focused
- class difference
- duke hero/illegitimate daughter of a commoner heroine
- lower steam – 2 full-ish scenes (the first one is a bit light)
Ages:
- I think the heroine is 20? Didn’t catch hero
First line:
Scarlett wasn’t alone.
My thoughts:
I was so disappointed in this one! I have read one other Bryant and I really enjoyed it – it was sweet and character focused and had a lot of swoony lines for me. But this one I was disappointed because I didn’t find much of that.
It felt like it took forever for the mains to be on page together and then they were repeatedly apart during the story. Number one way to get me grumpy.
This one is very mystery focused, which isn’t really my thing, so if you are wanting a mystery focused Regency with some light steam, you might really enjoy this one.
I would try Bryant again, but I think I might go back to the other series I tried and forego the Maidens of Mayhem.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
I hate this line...
“Come now, Martin. I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night.”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- scenes of fighting/danger/human trafficking/sex work
- heroine is endangered/taken captive
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: hero pulls out
Hows the consent? It’s good
39% - kiss
53% - kiss
60% - kiss
66% - 🔥kisses, fingering for her, oral for her (it’s quite light)
74% - 🔥fingering for her, missionary
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 (Once we got to the scenes I did like the way they were written, but in this one the build up wasn’t there for me so it just wasn’t as strong)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine (And also some minor part from hero’s brother?)
More character focused or plot focused? plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: It felt like it took a bit, about 9% (chapter 3)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, 2 months later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley that is now officially as old as a dinosaur (I’m a few years late...)
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Bryant’s Maidens of Mayhem series.
Basic plot:
Scarlett is out to solve a mystery involving missing persons when she crosses the path of Ambrose Cross
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (my assumption)
- London setting
- mystery focused
- class difference
- duke hero/illegitimate daughter of a commoner heroine
- lower steam – 2 full-ish scenes (the first one is a bit light)
Ages:
- I think the heroine is 20? Didn’t catch hero
First line:
Scarlett wasn’t alone.
My thoughts:
I was so disappointed in this one! I have read one other Bryant and I really enjoyed it – it was sweet and character focused and had a lot of swoony lines for me. But this one I was disappointed because I didn’t find much of that.
It felt like it took forever for the mains to be on page together and then they were repeatedly apart during the story. Number one way to get me grumpy.
This one is very mystery focused, which isn’t really my thing, so if you are wanting a mystery focused Regency with some light steam, you might really enjoy this one.
I would try Bryant again, but I think I might go back to the other series I tried and forego the Maidens of Mayhem.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
I hate this line...
“Come now, Martin. I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night.”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- scenes of fighting/danger/human trafficking/sex work
- heroine is endangered/taken captive
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
39% - kiss
53% - kiss
60% - kiss
66% - 🔥kisses, fingering for her, oral for her (it’s quite light)
74% - 🔥fingering for her, missionary