Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 (I love Murdoch’s intimate scenes!!!)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 (varies, but one scene is like 12% of the book!)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (It feels steamier than this though because there’s mutliple tension building punishment scenes and partials, and one scene I combined into one flame has alllll the sex acts and alllll the holes 🤣
Humor: Not much, it’s a darker, angsty story
Perspective: First person from both the hero and heroine (mostly hero!)
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Not too far in, about 6% (chapter 2)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, but it’s a preview for the next book (Augusta)
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy in e-book form from the author

Should I read in order?
I think you could pick this one up alone – it’s very character focused on the couple. There’s some minor mention of a bet that starts the series, and some minor page time with the prior characters but nothing extensive. I think if you read in order it might give you more background for the omegaverse style though. You can get a prequel novella (that does end on a cliffhanger and the mains don’t have their HEA written yet) titled The Duke’s Christmas Rejection or start with book 1, The Duke’s Unwilling Bride. (There is like a minor mention of Robert in the prior book’s epilogue and how he wants the governess but can’t fall to her charms but it’s not super long – you might feel like you missed a bit because you start off with him wanting her but there weren’t any interactions between them for the most part in prior books)

Basic plot:
Robert has been hurt by a prior interest trying to trap him in marriage – but he can’t seem to stay away from his tempting governess...

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- country estate setting
- omegaverse (view spoiler)
- Duke and the governess
- trying to get compromised is a plot point
- lots from the hero POV
- OBSESSED hero
- big ravishment fantasy vibes
- class difference/forbidden love
- kink includes somnophilia, punishment/whipping, figging, bondage, breath play, light praise, knotting
- higher steam – I have it at 4 full scenes but there are multiple tension building partials and punishment scenes and also one scene is very long and has multiple acts with it (since they were all close together following each other I combined it into one flame) so this may feel hotter than what I have it marked.
- PLEASE check the content warnings and kink elements to see if this is for me you. It includes dubious and non-consent acts and has big ravishment fantasy vibes that won’t work for everyone.

Ages:
- Heroine is 18, didn’t catch hero but believe he’s older (maybe mid to late 20s)

First line:
Raucous merriment and ribald laughter fill the space, drawing a haggard groan from my lips.

My thoughts:
Oh, I very much enjoyed this angsty omegaverse!

This to me had a great build up of tension – there were a lot of partials and sleeping scenes in the beginning that I loved. It felt like it took awhile for them to both fully come together and I prefer that denial of fulfillment in the beginning.

So much of this one is from the hero’s POV and I am always into that. There are some sections that felt like we were circling the same thoughts – but it also worked for me because it was so character driven, and so involved with their feelings and emotions and that is what I want in romance!

I did think Robert’s switch from never being able to marry her, to decided that he could actually marry her was a bit too abrupt – I think it would have worked better if maybe he wasn’t SO vehement at first about it and was more just lightly fighting his urges.

I love how immersive Murdoch’s relationships are and how well she writes angst. I got so wrapped up in these two and how badly they both wanted each other. And their push and pull is repeated throughout the book and it just kept building higher and higher until they collide in the best way. Her heroes can be a bit dark and aggressive (it IS called darkverse after all 🤣) but I have so much fun with these knowing no matter what we go through we’re going to have a HEA at the end and lots of kinky fun in between.

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

“And if I say no?” My lips tremble as the softly spoke query flits into the air.
“Well, my dear governess,” he grumbles, tightening the rope around my ankle before sliding the strands through a ring. “I would say we are far past that. Refuse me all you wish, but you’ve entered my sacred space without permission. You’ve thrown yourself into my bed, and now I will have my retribution.”
---
At the first brush of my lips against hers, electricity rocks my body. It sizzles through me, making my brain stop thinking anything coherently. This goes beyond lust. What I feel for this little omega is savage, feral, and without restraint.
---
Anything to not have to go back home.
This time, when I look up, the duke’s gaze has changed. It’s molten, like pure fire, consuming me as our eyes lock. There’s something different about it. Electricity swirls between us, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. This time, his gaze is not just predatory, it’s nearly feral.
---
“Cheeky,” he chuckles, sliding his finger under my chin to force my gaze back up at him. “You are temptation incarnate,” he breathes. My very own Daphne. Shall I force you down onto this desk and devour you? Shall I make you truly mine?”
“I-I-” Words escape me as he undoes his cravat.
---
“I want to hear you, sweet girl. I want your cries of pleasure to fill my years. But don’t be too loud, or everyone will know what naughty things we’re doing behind these closed doors. You wouldn’t wish to entrap yourself, would you?”
---
No. This will not be borne.
With a snarl, I dry off my hands and storm over to her, not gentling my touch as I toss her skirts up. Instead of coaxing her thighs apart, I slide my foot in between her legs and forcefully shove them open. Though she whimpers, and a delicate tendril of unease fills the air, it’s still overpowered by the scent of her blossoming arousal.
She likes my rough treatment, craves it even. Why in all of Hades does she resist?
---
He cuts me off by wrapping his hand around my throat again as he curls his arm around my waist, hauling me back against him. I feel so small against his chest. It heaves against me, matching the rapid staccato of my own frantic breathing. Heat infuses my body, turning me molten in his arms.
---
“This-this is improper,” I whisper, both horrified and delirious all at once.
“Impropriety left the moment you contrived to trap me. You wanted me so desperately, Miss Gillet. Well, now you have me. And God help you for it.”
 

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

- there’s a lot of classism vibes from the hero – he obviously learns his lesson since he gets with the governess but he really thinks he’s above her
- double check the steam/kink in case this isn’t your vibe – including drugging of heroine by hero to perform sex acts while she’s asleep, noncon and dubcon scenes, spanking/punishment
- there are scenes of illness for the hero’s mother where he worries she will pass soon (and mention of his father passing but there is not a lot of grief dwelled on)
Author given content warnings include: noncon, dubon, discipline, somnophilia, anal play, figging, whip play, miscommunication, ABO dynamics, biting, marking, nesting

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex: 

  The heroine takes a suppressant so she can’t get pregnant, condoms used in some scenes 

Hows the consent? 

  This has major non consensual and dubious consent vibes – it’s a dark romance ravishment fantasy. We know the heroine has an attraction but the hero definitely crosses the boundary of consent multiple times 

There’s a few spanking for punishment scenes with some good tension and light touches, the beginning of fingering for her, anal fingering, before 30%
32% - 🔥 what feels like a dream pleasure scene for the heroine that we find out was the hero giving her oral after drugging her to sleep (It’s a bit short? I still decided to count)

I want to cry out, to beg him to put an end to this torment. As if he can hear my thoughts, he touches that part of me which has ached since the moment Blackport nearly ran me over with his horse. This time, the tears streaming down are of relief as pleasure washes over me, building with each stroke.
Whispers flood my ears, all of them nonsensical as I writhe beneath the touch of this demon.
41% - 🔥 hero encourages the heroine to take laudanum, then carries her to his pleasure chamber, ties her up, oral for her, flogging for her, hero barely penetrates her anally and has one (She is asleep the entire time)
This feral need to mark her, to claim her eats at my brain until I have to stop for a moment just to breath.

48% - figging punishment
70% - breath play in the stables, fingering/oral for her but interrupted
75% - 🔥blow job for him (complete), fingering for her, missionary (v loss for heroine), doggy, her on top, anal
”Open your mouth for me, Governess.” Unable to resist my commands, her mouth drops open. “That’s a good girl. Such a bloody good girl for me.”
95% - 🔥whip play on St. Andrews cross, missionary with biting mark (bonding)

I know how she wants it. She wants me hard and fast, pounding into her with a wild abandon. And who am I to deny my wife’s wishes and needs?