Three Nights with a Soundrel (Stud Club Trilogy #3) by Tessa Dare

Blurb...

The bastard son of a nobleman, Julian Bellamy is now polished to perfection, enthralling the ton with wit and charm while clandestinely plotting to ruin the lords, ravish the ladies, and have the last laugh on a society that once spurned him. But after meeting Leo Chatwick, a decent man and founder of an elite gentlemen’s club, and Lily, Leo’s enchanting sister, Julian reconsiders his wild ways. And when Leo’s tragic murder demands that Julian hunt for justice, he vows to see the woman he secretly loves married to a man of her own class.

Lily, however, has a very different husband in mind. She’s loved Julian forever, adores the man beneath the rakish façade, and wants to savor the delicious attraction they share—as his wife. His insistence on marrying her off only reinforces her intent to prove that he is the only man for her. Obsessed with catching a killer, Julian sinks back to the gutters of his youth, forcing Lily to reach out with a sweet, reckless passion Julian can’t resist. Can her desire for a scoundrel save them both—or will dangerous secrets threaten more than their tender love?

Wow, Three Nights with a Scoundrel wraps up the Stud Club Trilogy and all I can say is, I never saw that coming! I’m not exactly sure how I can review this book without going on and on and on, and then give away too much of the plot and the truth about who killed Leo! I know others have managed to write wonderful reviews, but I’m at a loss. Please bear with me as I ramble my way through this review.

I’ve always loved Leo’s idea of the Stud Club, and figured he started it just to be magnanimous, to be a good person. I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Leo created this club for the very reasons he claimed he did – so that everyone could belong, not just those who are wealthy and accepted by society, but also for those who are not, and with the circumstances of his death being revealed, I admire him all the more for it.

I definitely adore Julian, which was something I wasn’t sure would happen. He came across as quite the unlikeable guy in the previous two books because of the way he put on airs, as he seemingly considered himself better than those around him. Well, now we understand why, and I’ve come to love him both for the man he is, and the man he is not.

I also loved Lily, her quiet nature, unobtrusive – yet so very smart, such an amazing lady. She was underestimated by everyone around her, even those who knew her best, thinking that her deafness meant she was somehow less able to manage things or to take care of herself. So this opportunity we had to get to know the real Lily was such a treat! In addition to her wisdom, she was so full of love, so giving and understanding that not only was she able to function on her own, she was able to look out for and take care of everyone around her. Even when they didn’t think they need her to.

I think the Stud Club and the mystery surrounding Leo’s death was an excellent foundation for this trilogy. We watch as his family and friends try to deal with this generous man’s tragic death, with some coping better than others. The truth is, sometimes there’s no way to understand, no resolution that can make us better able to accept the loss. Sometimes that’s just the way it happens. We can’t always gain an understanding of why fate steps in and changes a life's direction, or takes a life, but it happens and those left behind to grieve often times never give up searching for answers – answers they never find. Or get the answers they don’t quite expect. Such is the case with Leo’s death. Those dearest to him who so desperately needed the truth learned that the truth, that knowledge they gained doesn’t necessarily help because their pain still exists; their loved one is still gone. The real challenge they face is learning to go on, living their lives in a way that would have made Leo proud.

My only regret as this trilogy comes to an end, is that even though we did get to know him better in this book, we didn’t get to spend, in my opinion, enough time with Leo. He was a male most worthy of his own story and a happily ever after. With whomever he chose.

Click here to purchase Three Nights with a Scoundrel at Amazon

Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade by A.D. Robertson

Twenty-five-year-old Tristan Doran enjoys a life of incredible power and privilege. As a direct descendant of the Keepers—witches who have embraced dark magic—he defers to no one but his overlord, Lord Bosque Mar. For most of his life, Tristan has been kept out of the centuries-old Witches War, his bloodline too valuable to risk in battle.

But when a beautiful, young human Searcher named Sarah is captured and made a prisoner in his Irish castle, Tristan’s infatuation with her flings him headlong into the fray. Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’  ages-old reign.

Captive explores the darker side of the richly imagined Nightshade universe, a fantasy world of powerful dark witches, shape-shifting wolf warriors, and fascinating history. The first of three erotic novels, Captive delves deeply into the fiery, illicit romance of two young lovers whose very desires invite their doom.

***** 

 Witches and wolf-shifters, wars and prophecies, of such is the Nightshade world!

This first book in A.D. Robertson’s The Forbidden Side of Nightshade trilogy is set in her popular Young Adult Nightshade world, which she writes as Andrea Cremer. But, as the title suggests, Captive is a much more adult story - sensual, intriguing, and a bit on the dark side!

When I was asked by the publisher to review this book I was a bit apprehensive. Truthfully, neither the Young Adult nor the Fantasy genre appeals to me much, and I wasn’t convinced that an adult spin-off of a series evolving from both would, either. But this world Ms. Robertson has created is just so imaginative, just so exciting, that once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down! Tristan and Sarah's forbidden love is so sensual, and the unfolding prophecy so compelling that Captive kept me turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning, and I'm anxiously awaiting more.

Many thanks to Liza Cassity at Dutton Adult for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Silver Chain by Primula Bond

Bound by passion, she was powerless to resist.

One dark evening in London, photographer Serena Folkes is indulging her impulsive side with a night-time shoot. But someone is watching her – mysterious entrepreneur Gustav Levi. Serena doesn’t know it yet, but this handsome stranger will change her life forever…

Serena is fascinated by Gustav, the enigmatic owner of the Levi Gallery, and she soon feels an irresistible pull of attraction. The interest is mutual, and Gustav promises to launch Serena’s photographic career at his gallery, but only if Serena agrees to become his exclusive companion.

To mark their agreement, Gustav gives Serena a bracelet to wear at all times. Attached to it is a silver chain of which he is the keeper. With the chain Gustav controls Serena physically and symbolically – a sign that she is under his power.

As their passionate relationship intensifies, Gustav’s hold on the silver chain grows stronger. But will Gustav’s dark past tear them apart?

**** 

The Silver Chain is the first book in Primula Bond’s The Unbreakable Trilogy and not a bad start to this semi-open ended happily ever after. I say semi-open ended because it is a trilogy and we know going in that the relationship will not be fully developed in the first - or likely – second book. And I’m hoping Ms. Bond doesn’t pull a last minute need to extend the trilogy beyond just that – a trilogy.

I wish I could be more excited about this trilogy but honestly, it just seems like more of what the market is being inundated with. There were times I thought I’d DNF it and other times I thought I’d love it. In the end, it took me a couple months of picking it up and putting it down before I finished. The thing is, to really “wow” me these days, a story has to be compelling, exciting, and gripping, but most of all fresh and unique. And sadly, this story, in my opinion, was not.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. There was, and is, a lot of potential here. Ms. Bond is talented and able to write engaging, complex characters, but with The Silver Chain I just wasn’t left dying to know what might happen next. That’s not to say I won’t read more, should the mood strike me.

My thanks to HarperCollins UK for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.