Her Night with the Duke
Series: Clandestine Affairs #1
Author: Diana Quincy
Published September 29th 2020 by Avon

Goodreads Synopsis
Desire knows no reason...

When Lady Delilah Chambers finds herself stranded at a country inn on a rain-swept evening, she’s forced to fend off a group of ruffians with the help of a handsome gentleman. Irresistibly drawn to each other, Leela and the stranger spend one reckless night in each others’ arms—and then go their separate ways. But the very next day Leela receives the shock of her life when she meets the duke who is set on wedding her beloved stepdaughter.

When it finds two destined hearts...

One night isn’t enough with a woman as fierce, fiery, and brilliant as Leela. Elliot Townsend, Duke of Huntington, cannot believe his good fortune when their chance encounter leads to an unforgettable evening of passion. Yet Hunt’s luck runs out when he is introduced to his prospective mother-in-law. Dowagers aren’t supposed to look like this...

Leela and Hunt are determined to keep each other at arm’s length, which should be easy enough for two intelligent adults with reputations to uphold. The problem is all logic is lost when it comes to a passion that refuses to be ignored.
Goodreads

Review
Leela Chambers finds herself trapped in a country inn on a rainy night, and is rescued by the handsome Elliot Townsend, and they later spend the night together before leaving for their original destinations - which just happen to be the same place. The thing is that Leela is in fact Lady Delilah Chambers, the daughter of a Marquess and a widowed Countess, and Elliot is the Duke of Huntington, on the way to her estate to spend time with her stepdaughter, Tori, who is due to become betrothed to Elliot. Leela can't believe she slept with her stepdaughter's future husband, and spends nearly the entire house party hiding in her room. But Elliot can't stop thinking about her, and soon it's clear he doesn't want the daughter, he wants Leela, and won't marry anyone else. When events take a turn, will they be able to be together, or are they doomed to love from afar?

I hadn't really heard much about this book until I was approved for the sequel, so ordered a copy and started it as soon as I was able to. I enjoyed it as a whole, but there were times when the plot dragged, or it seemed as if it was just long, lusting looks across a room, rather than actual romance. One aspect of the story I adored though, was Leela's history and heritage being explored. Her mother was the daughter of a Levantine merchant, who married a Marquess, and admittedly, did have some difficulty moving in society. Leela though, never forgot her history, especially with the gossip, but her pedigree was second to none, and even better, she didn't let their words hurt her. Rather she spent her time exploring her homeland, and was an acclaimed author - though not many knew her travelogues were written by a woman. Seeing all of that, and her meeting her relatives who lived in the North West, was more than enough to make up for some of the other lacking qualities in the book. I did like Leela and Elliot together, for the most part, and how they dealt with the angst and events that were there to pull them apart. Meeting Griff and Hanna, setting up for their story, has made me glad I have a copy of The Viscount Made Me Do It. 

Dates Read:
May 5-8, 2021

Rating
4 Stars