Duchess If You Dare
Series: The Maidens of Mayhem #1
Author: Anabelle Bryant
Published March 30th 2021 by Zebra

Goodreads Synopsis
Fans of Sarah MacLean, Vanessa Riley, and Julia London will adore this modern take on the Regency, filled with tough, empowered women meeting their matches in a sexy story from rising star Anabelle Bryant.

From the glittering ballrooms of the ton to the city's grittiest corners, London has no shortage of wrongs in need of righting—and the Maidens of Mayhem are prepared for the challenge. United by secrecy and sisterhood, these daring women from all walks of life aim to fight injustice wherever it takes them—even into the arms of unexpected love... These Regency Robin Hoods from USA Today bestselling author Anabelle Bryant are destined to storm into readers' hearts!

Scarlett Wynn's tragic childhood taught her that life can be cruel to women with little power. So when a local seamstress disappears, Scarlett vows to find out why. Armed with a weapon and her courage, Scarlett scours London for clues—and crosses the unlikely path of Ambrose Cross, the Duke of Aylesford, at an unlikely place: an upscale brothel. The Duke is trying to solve a mystery of his own, and Scarlett is sure they can help each other—if she can resist the attraction that draws them together...

As Duke, Ambrose is duty-bound to protect his family name from scandal, no matter the cost. But Scarlett's fearless spirit forces him to look beyond his world of privilege. Scarlett is as intoxicating as she is dangerous, igniting a fire in him like no other. But when the pair learn both mysteries they're trying to solve are tied to a string of missing women, the tangled scheme they uncover may put their lives, and their growing love, in mortal danger—and lead them to search their hearts like never before...
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When Scarlett Wynn's friend disappears one night, she investigates, and soon finds herself infiltrating an upscale brothel, looking for more information. While there, she comes across Ambrose Cross, the Duke of Aylesford, who is trying to solve his own mystery. It soon becomes clear that both Scarlett and Ambrose are trying to find the same person, and by working together, and using their own backgrounds and social connections, they will get ahead so much quicker than if they join forces. While delving into the seedy underworld of London, they uncover a sex trafficking plot, which may be their downfall, once and for all.

I really liked this book, but my main bug bear was that The Maidens of Mayhem - the group of women who worked to help others in London - aren't actually a big part of the story. I think we should've see a lot more of them for a series named after the group, but perhaps we will in future books. Once I got over that, I felt that both Scarlet and Ambrose had their positives, and their negatives. They did care about their loved ones, and wanted to help others - and were definitely invested in solving the mystery and stopping the trafficking from continuing. But, they were also a bit placid, and lacklustre. I wanted more from them, especially Scarlett, as her backstory is alluded to again and again, but isn't delved into too much. She was fiercely independent, and I loved that aspect of her - how she didn't need to be rescued, but was rather the rescuer. I will be continuing the series - probably - but hope that we see improvements.

Dates Read:
March 4-5, 2021

Rating
3 Stars