Series: Disgraceful Duchesses #2
Author: Sara Bennett
Published August 29th 2024 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Goodreads Synopsis
Together Ellis and Owen burn bright with their unstoppable passion, but will her secret destroy their happiness?
Widowed Ellis Mallory is running for her life when she finds shelter at the home of artist Owen, Lord Lyndhurst. She agrees to sit for him. During the five years of her sham marriage, Ellis longed for a lover to teach her the pleasures of passion. But Owen has rules when it comes to his relations with his models. As Ellis poses for Owen’s brazen drawings, she decides she must be bold if she is to get past his scruples and capture his heart.
Owen once dreamed of being a famous portrait painter, but now he draws saucy pictures of half naked ladies and sells them to his publisher in London. His latest model has left him in the lurch and he is in dire need of someone to sit for him, when Ellis arrives. A beautiful damsel in distress, he is instantly attracted to her, and when she agrees to pose for him he decides not to ask too many questions.
Despite her being a temptation he finds impossible to resist.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Ellis, Dowager Duchess of Breamore, is fleeing for her life. She's just lost her husband, and his cousin Theo is angry that she has inherited most of the property, while he just got the title. Knowing that if she dies without marrying or any children, he'd be able to claim the property, he's out for blood, and Ellis knows it's only a matter of time before he finds her. She finds shelter at the home of Owen, Lord Lyndhurst, an artist in dire need of a model. In return for shelter, Ellis agrees to be his muse, and considering her 5 year marriage was a sham, she's ready to explore her sensual side.
I think I liked this one a little better than the previous book. Ellis knew her mother expected her to make a prestigious match, and when she found her duke, he was willing to marry her for friendship. The duke became really good friends with Ellis, but his relationship with his lover, Elijah, was everything to him. Even so, he made sure that Ellis would be well off when he passed, and everything unentailed was left to her - which also had it's own problems. The heir, Theo, wanted everything belonging to the Breamore estate, and that included Ellis. If he couldn't have her, then he wouldn't let anyone, and he'd get rid of her to make sure he inherited the lot. I appreciated how Elijah and Ellis worked together to get her free, and though Owen was happily living alone in the countryside, he recognised a damsel in distress, and protected her. Owen and Ellis did have a bit of an instalust connection, but they made it work, and soon Owen's alpha male side came out when Theo came knocking. He knew he was falling for her, and he wasn't going to let anyone get to her.
Dates Read:
December 6-7, 2024
Rating
3 Stars
