One Dance with a Duke (Stud Club Trilogy)

This book was 5 stars until the last 50 or so pages. The heroine, Amelia, makes some bad choices in those last pages and greatly lowered my opinion of her. I was quite fed up with her making excuses and babying her brother already (an unrepentant scapegrace and spendthrift)... and then after delivering two items of very bad news to the hero, Spencer, and one bit of good news <spoiler> --- she picks her brother and leaves her husband? And makes him go to her? No.

So while it does end on a happy note, my opinion of Amelia went down quite a bit. It was unnecessary to the story and felt like one last attempt at unneeded drama.

This story is very good otherwise. Very touching and emotional. It's a keeper. Just not quite worthy of 5 stars

Plot Summary: The Duke of Morland is tall, dark, handsome, and desperate to own a retired racing horse named Osiris. The problem is that the horse is owned collectively buy an exclusive group of men known as the Stud Club, and the tokens that grant membership can only be won in a game of chance. While playing cards to obtain yet another token, Morland takes Lady Amelia d'Orsay's brother for a tidy sum, and Amelia ambushes the Duke during a waltz. Morland decides to make her his bride, but his closed off nature causes problems, as does Amelia's desire to save her wastrel brother from himself.

I wanted to be seduced by One Dance with a Duke. I was more than willing, but it never happened. I kept struggling with my dislike of Morland or Amelia, and just when I'd start to settle into the story, the next scene would disillusion me once more. I think maybe Tessa Dare succeeded in making Morland too unlikable. I always enjoy a good redemption story, but he can't be completely heartless, and the hero does something so tasteless and tacky in the beginning that it was nigh on unforgivable in my eyes. No, he doesn't force himself on anyone, but he tried to take advantage of a woman who had just learned that her only, much beloved, living relation in the world had died.

It wasn't a bad book overall, and it flowed like a pro, but it lacked charm. This is one of those stories that could have used a sweet little dog, or pet goat, because just about all of the characters were abrasive. There was no one around to provide comedic relief, and that's something I've come to expect from the best regency-period historical romances (blame Jane Austen - she always had somebody who lightened things up). The sad part is that I was completely charmed by Ms. Dare's homemade book trailer (below), which I highly recommend watching, but I can't say the same for One Dance with a Duke. It was good, but far from great.

This is the first in the Stud Club Series. There are two other books currently out, Twice Tempted by a Rogue, and Three Nights with a Scoundrel.

This was my first Tessa Dare novel. I had noticed that they all have pretty good reviews, so I felt sure I would enjoy this book. It was actually frustrating and forgettable.

Spoiler free:

The main issue I had with this novel was the heroine, Amelia. Her character seemed to change when Spencer married her. Without giving anything away, I can sum her up by saying that she made stupid decisions in regards to her family and her husband. Sometimes I would wonder why Spencer put up with her or cared for her at all. She only saw things her way and did not see reason when it came to her family. Although in her defense, I thought the idea of the Stud Club was stupid and Spencer was too obsessed with horses. I liked learning about the other members of the Stud Club, but the purpose of the club and the way it was so important to all the characters seemed silly. The murder mystery was not really done that well either. In the end, it was not wrapped up completely. I get the feeling that it will be explored in other novels, but I am not sure. The ending of the novel frustrated me as well. You get your happily ever after but it is pulled together in a blah kind of way.

Maybe I just don't like her novels dealing with the Stud club(I think it is a trillogy). I am just not sure I feel like giving her another chance.

For me, reading One Dance with a Duke was a roller coaster ride, loads of fun but with unexpected twists. There were times I sincerely loved the characters and other times they would become annoying but overall their charms outweigh their negative aspects.

Amelia d'Orsay is desperate to save her brother from financial ruin, he owes Spencer Dumarque, duke of Morland money and Amelia pleads her case to him when she demands that Spencer share a dance with her. Spencer is unwilling to forgive the debt but he is a bit surprised and intrigued with plain, outspoken Amelia. Let me stop here and say within these first chapters I wondered if I would like either character. Amelia is an enabler for her wastrel gambling brother. She makes excuses for him, covers his debts but even worse he expects it of her. Spencer is haughty and arrogant. Fortunately his better character traits shine after a few chapters and the author puts Amelia in circumstances beyond familial obligations, giving the reader a better appreciation of her.

Spencer belongs to a club that is exclusive and quite frankly a little silly; the club is all about ownership in a horse. Now Spencer, a dedicated horseman, wants sole ownership of this majestic animal, problem is he has to share ownership and stud rights with other members. When the founding member of the club is murdered, Spencer and Amelia travel together to deliver the horrible news to the deceased's sister, Lily. (She is a neighbor of Amelia's)

Spencer and Amelia's lives become intertwined from the moment they meet and when they are out all night together delivering the terrible news to Lily, honorable Spencer makes an offer of marriage. Now Amelia must decide whether she can love this taciturn mysterious man or not.

This novel has some real high points especially when it comes to conversations the leads have with each other. Spencer really listens to Amelia and he respects her immensely, so much so that he does not sugarcoat the truth to her about her brother. He is perceptive but uncomfortable with his feelings. Of the two leads his emotions are the more poignant and heartfelt.

For the most part I liked Amelia. She can be a little demanding and she has a problem making up her mind, she changes it quite suddenly, especially when it comes to physical intimacy. She also is stubbornly loyal to her family. Her best qualities though are her compassionate nature and excellent negotiating skills, if she were a modern day heroine she would be cobbling together multi-national deals or settling civil disputes. This was refreshing for a regency period woman. She also likes to embroider, usually this feminine pastime is treated frivolously, yet Ms Dare gives a new dimension to Amelia, she enjoys making her home an inviting place.

Trust is difficult for these two but surprisingly, Spencer trusts more readily than Amelia. This is one area where I was a bit confused as Amelia places great trust in her family but is not quick to establish the same bond with her hero. Fortunately he is patient with Amelia.

Ms Dare is a talented writer, this novel carries a fine tension throughout and there were some surprising twists here and there too. This novel ranks four stars due mostly to the very memorable hero.

I have read all the books published by Tessa Dare, as she was recommended by another author who is my favorite. This book "One dance with a duke" is my favorite book by her so far. I think Spencer is one of my favorite heroes. He is the "Duke of midnight" a scandalized figure in society, with people being in awe of him and disliking him at the same time. He appeared arrogant and distant in the beginning, but the reasons for his behavior become more clear as the story unfolds. Amelia is also a sweet and perky heroine and her extreme devotion to her wastrel brother was occasionally irritating. She can also be irrational at times, but then again characters can't be flawless as human beings are not so. Also, when it comes to her own family, she should be allowed to be blinded by loyalty until her eyes are truly opened. The way Spencer and Amelia came to marry is a common enough plot in historical/regency romances, but from then on the story line was refreshingly interesting to me. The love scenes were somewhat more prevalent and erotic than in her previous books, but well done in my opinion. Recently I have been skipping over the love scenes in most romance novels I read because most of them seemed very repetitive , unimaginative or trying too hard to be erotic. But I liked reading every page of this book. I liked the secondary characters in the story as well. I am so glad that I don't have to wait a Whole year to read the next book in the series and will be able to read the next 2 books this summer itself. Hope they'll prove to be good as well :-)

In 1817 the Ton knows the strange behavioral pattern of the reclusive primitive "Canadian" Duke Spencer Dumarque as the Duke of Midnight; he arrives as the clock strikes twelve at a bash to dance one waltz with a different female each time and then leaves immediately. Not quite as well known as his dashing nocturnal spin is that he is one of the ten members of the Stud Club who have a wager on a horse on going.

Rubenesque Lady Amelia d'Orsay decides to be the chosen one at the latest ball by brazenly selecting him. When she notices her waltz partner seems ill, she shows her concern. He is stunned by a twit caring for someone else and abruptly carries her from the gala to her amazement. He is in love and proposes, but before accepting she wants to know more about the enigmatic Duke of Morland. He is four tokens to the prize of wining the thoroughbred (ten tokens wins the steed) but one of his Stud comrades has been murdered assumingly for his tokens. Amelia suggests hosting a Stud Club party, but her brother Jack arrives with tokens before vanishing with his ward.

This is a great regency romantic mystery starring a flawed courageous heroine and a mysterious perhaps even blemished hero. Faster than the prized thoroughbred, this super story line hooks the reader from the moment Dashing Duke Dumarque runs off with Amelia and never takes a respite even for the kissing scenes. Fans will enjoy this strong romantic suspense thriller as the opening of the stud Club is a winner.

Harriet Klausner

I wanted to like One Dance with a Duke far more than I did. The initial set up for the characters was engaging and interesting. The perspective shift was wonderful, offering an alternate way of viewing events depending on which character was considering them, but ultimately this book fell short for me. At certain points, I felt strongly that I had read it before. During a scene involving notifying someone of a death, I had to check the title twice to make sure this was a new book. I wish I could recall the book I was confusing it with, but the deja vu feeling was strong enough to repeatedly pull me out of the story. There is a lot going on in One Dance with a Duke. (I wouldn't say too much, because it's the first part of a trilogy and therefore not everything is resolved.) The problem was more with the pacing. If you enjoy a lot of descriptive sex in your romance you may find it more enjoyable than I did. To me, as soon as the story would start to gain my interest everything would be placed back on hold so the characters could have a few more pages of sex. The author did try to develop the emotional connections between the hero and heroine during these scenes, but it just didn't work for me.

I also had some issues with his inability to communicate and a resolution of a core issue for him though a specifically timed death. The heroine was interesting but not likeable, with her need to please keeping her from coming to terms with reality. Sometimes she was downright irrational. As a not very spoiler example - there is an object her family has owned for generations. Selling that object is unpleasant but possible as long as that object (which she loves) is sold to anyone other than her husband (whom she loves) - even if it means destroying the object. I spent a lot of time mentally asking her what her problem was, exactly. The hero kept me company on that one but neither of us got a straight answer. I wouldn't say I regret this read or would dissuade someone from buying it but it's smack in the middle of the road for me. I don't know if I will read book two of this series or not.

Ok here is the deal I loved this book and about 4 chapters in - I put it down thought I knew how it would end so why read it - BUT I was wrong. I picked it back up a few hours later and ended up finishing it in the wee hours of the morning...

This the back story four men are in a club where they own a part of horse and when one of the men die - it pushs the three unlikely men to become friends (sort-of). Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland aka "Duke of Midnight" finds himself dancing with Lady Amelia d'Orsay a wallflower right before one of the club members is found dead. Excellent book off to get Twice Tempted by a Rogue and Three Nights with a Scoundrel.

I am beginning to think it is literally impossible to read One Dance With A Duke by Tessa Dare without a silly grin. Now, this book was my first foray into romance, a genre which I sort of had this tendancy to ridicule. I know, I know, not nice to make fun of heaving bosoms and what not. However, I guess that's what happens when I read one Danielle Steele book and judge a whole genre based off of it. Guys, I would never do that to the YA category -- read one book and judge all YA based off that book. So, romance, I am sorry.

One Dance With A Duke is a historical fiction set in the 18th Century, right around Waterloo. Amelia D'Orsay is a spinster with a ne'er do well brother who gambles away her pin money. Spencer, on the other hand, is this megarich duke of Morland. He hangs around balls at midnight and dances with just one woman. OF COURSE Spencer and Amelia's paths cross. I know from the summary, you can guess the ending, because it is romance, and we all know how these books end. However, I'm just going to put this out there and you can agree with me or disagree, but I don't think people read romance primarily to be surprised by the ending. I think people read it for A) The steams and B) That goofy happy feeling. This sounds creepy, but these books give someone the chance to vicariously experience love. I already have love in my life, but friends, an 18th century duke my boyfriend is not.

It's vastly entertaining to watch the sparks fly between Spencer and Amelia. They have this love hate relationship, and I really do enjoy their conversations, especially when they talk about books. Hello, there was a reference to Mary Wollenstonecraft. Total awesomesauce. It's interesting that reference, because the book places the two as a couple on equal footing. It shows that love does not allow for one person to dominate the other. I really enjoyed seeing this take on relationships as a partnership. I also really liked the kissing scenes. There's one part which I wish I could find in my book to quote for you which describes making out as a conversation. Yes, please sign me up for that talk. I mean, can you imagine instead of saying "we need to talk' you just kiss it out.

Let me just say, when you have a super heavy, emotionally draining book like The Passage, I absolutely recommend you break it up with a romance novel. Trust me, you'll feel more mentally sound after repeated emoto-beat-downs. Don't read this expecting a book surpassing all your wildest dreams, because that's not going to happen, but if you want something smile inducing, this is totally the right book to check out.

I could not stop smiling like a dork while reading this. I even giggled uncontrollably on a train, which I hardly ever do.

Spencer is one of the sexiest heroes I've ever read (and I've read a lot). He is a formidable duke to everyone but a sweet, sentimental, romantic fool to Amelia. His love and lust for her took my breath away (that scene in the inn and his inability to control himself while thinking of Amelia next door--HOT). Amelia is pretty great match for him, save for her annoying loyalty to her stupid brother (although this doesn't veer into TSTL). It just made her more realistic to me because she's not perfect and I know many people who are like her, who keeps giving people they love chances even when they shouldn't. I also found her lust for Spencer equally delightful. After she finally had marital relations with him, it was plain that she loved sex with Spencer and didn't try to deny herself or him(or the reader)(thank god, cuz that scene against the wall--fans myself). Best of all, though, is the friendship between them--this is a couple that will last. The scene in the inn where she sat and embroidered and he read, I could picture them doing that till they're 95 and still having the hots for each other.

This was really enjoyable romance, easily a favorite for life.

I am about one third of the way through this and do not intend to finnish it. There is very little actual story, it seems the author intends to rely on character development for suspense and drama, however, both hero and leading lady seem to owe their shape to a cookie cutter. Also I wonder, why bother to set the story during the Regency then ignore the protocol and cultural mores of the period.
Quote: " Amelia was beginning to wonder if her husband ever intended to bed her. "
Unfortunately, in addition to other kinds of tension, the book is also lacking any type of sexual tension, which is the one thing that would make me forget the poor writing.
I have read and enjoyed many a worse book, but they must be either funny or sexy of have a thrilling plot. One Dance with a Duke just fizzles.

Before I voice my complaints, I want to say, the book was well written, entertaining, and witty. However, with saying that the story lacked one main component, a likable Heroine. Why? Because, she was constantly selfish, thinking only of her feelings and her family's, never considering the possibly of the hurt she is causing the man she claims to love and is her husband. I liked her in the beginning. She was very witty, and compassionate where her friend was concerned. But, after her marriage she changes. She is willing to marry the Duke, but then says she can't trust him, she doesn't know if he was the murderer or not. I also didn't like that the young girl was basically ignored throughout. It was clear she needed someone but neither the Hero, nor the heroine stepped up. Overall, the book was okay. I personally, just disliked Amelia, and thought the Duke deserved someone much better.

Okay - the review title says it here - but, truly, after 'lady of persuasion' I saw her new trilogy on shelves for months before I reluctantly plucked this volume from the shelves. And...it was great! Wonderful writing (I never doubted that!) and a great heroine - the very first chapter is so visceral - I laugh now to think of it. The hero is my favorite archetype- the starched gentleman who you just know is naughty underneath it all, not to mention passionate in the best way! So - I have shyly tipped my toes once more in Tessa's writing - and have found myself quite content to find myself in the capable 'hands' of a romance writer who knows what we want and want she clearly enjoys writing - ROMANCE!

I recommend!

In One Dance with a Duke, we are introduced to a trilogy based around a club of men who together own a horse, The Stud Club. The Stud Club takes the focus at the beginning and towards the end of the book with the middle being my favorite part, the boy meets girl part! Maybe a bit too much horse and murder talk for me. I will admit though, I love a good mystery!

Heroine Amelia is rather likable, she's not too worried about the fact that she is unmarried and puts her family first. When making all of her decisions she always thinks about how it will affect her family. She comes to know Spencer through one of her brother's gambling debts. And I love the scene when they meet, it really shows off both of their personalities and how they sometimes (a lot of the time) clash.

I found Spencer to be a bit rough and aggressive towards Amelia at some points to the point of unattractiveness, most of the time in the way he spoke to her in the bedroom, but when the narration was from his perspective I found him to be a lot more likable then when we were viewing him from Amelia's eyes.

While this book didn't burn as bright for me as some of the others in the genre I have read, I think this is an intriguing set up for a trilogy with the mystery spanning what appears to be all three books. Can't wait to find out more about the quiet and mysterious Rhys in the next book, Twice Tempted by a Rogue.

It's hard to pin down what makes a romance novel a keeper--different people like different things, and even if you can name all the things you like, you couldn't just patch them all together in one book and be guaranteed a novel you'll love. A keeper has an intangible quality, a certain something that makes the characters and the emotions feel real, even when you know intellectually that you are reading what amounts to, in terms of realism, a fairy tale.

This novel is definitely in my top 5, and I'm pretty picky. First of all, Tessa Dare's writing style is fantastic; it never veers into purple prose, the pacing is excellent, the dialogue clever. And she's a huge Jane Austen fan, apparently, since Amelia states early in the book she's "never seen a house so happily situated."

Amelia--she's one of the heroine greats. Not a perfect beauty, not a push over, not a "bluestocking," not insultingly vapid. She is flawed and quirky, without being annoying. Spencer is emotionally distant. What I liked about him was that he clearly loved her from the beginning, and their interests and personalities are compatible. There's a scene where he's reading and she's working her needlepoint, and they're sparring, and it feels like you're a fly on the wall--it's just so cozy and appealing. I did not find it frustrating that he was emotionally distant, I found it realistic and believable. He brings to mind Mr. Darcy, and Amelia, a la Elizabeth Bennet, draws him out. Of course, Austen would have written things differently without all the hot sex scenes. ;)

That brings me to another thing I liked about this Regency. The problems and external conflicts are not ridiculous, and they are fairly realistic to the time period. There are no gambling hells or kidnappings, no silly mysteries to solve. Wait! you say. Isn't this trilogy, at least in part, about a murder and a "stud club"? Well, yes, it is, and I was afraid Ms. Dare's second trilogy would devolve into some sort of mystery-driven Stephanie Laurens type mess, but it doesn't. It stays focused on the romance, and the murder with which the book begins provides just enough plot to bring certain characters together, drive others apart, and create a believable conflict.

Romance, character, and emotional realism are at the center of this romance. This is one to savor, because you won't read another one so good for awhile (until June 22, perhaps?). A great piece of escapist fiction that I never wanted to skim. I never rolled my eyes. I just enjoyed the whole blasted thing thoroughly.

Charming novel. Part of the stud club trilogy by Tessa dare. It was romantic and funny. Good interaction between ten men who each held a brass coin owning one tenth share in a race horse past his prime. The plan was to share him at stud. Soon all the fun begins coins lost.stolen and even one lost by murder.Charming love story about falling in love with his own wife. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

the book frustrated me more than anything. In the end, i cared more about finding out about Julian and Lily than Spencer and Amelia. I did, however, prefer to see things from Spencer's point of view and i did like that Amelia was average looking and kind of plump and the way they meet was interesting and i saw potential there but then he asks her to marry her, after only knowing her a few hours which i was like oh no, how is the author going to add the sexual tension between them if they are married and on top of that married a day or two after the proposal? I felt the reasons to push him off, were not strong enough so i didnt feel any real sexual tension and it didnt last long. On top of this, there were other things that got me frustrated, especially with Amelia's attitude... Like a reviewer said, the story was just not well executed. I will however, read the series since i am looking forward to Julian and Lily's story and to solving the whole mystery. Overall, 3 stars for One dance with a duke.

I just loved this book and cannot wait to get the next in the series. It's been released so I am happy.

Spencer and Amelia were wonderful characters that showed depth in their emotions and (what I so enjoyed) spoke of them to one another. The intimacy they shared was heartfelt. Their love life sparkled. Spencer brought Amelia to the knowledge that such a dashing man could fall deeply in love with her, who turned out to be his lovely and ideal Duchess of Moreland.

It was nice that there were no long delays for the first kiss (quite properly done), marriage and love.

Just a sweet charming story and thoroughly enjoyed.

Spencer, Duke of Morland, is the infamous "Duke of Midnight". He sweeps into balls all over London at the witching hour, selects one young lady, dances with her, and vanishes. Spencer has his own reasons for the mystery, but is astonished to find Amelia d'Orsay stretching her hand out to him at midnight.

Amelia is not the typical choice of a wealthy and handsome duke. Even more, when Spencer sweeps her out of a ballroom and into a carriage, she risks ruination at the least. She will do almost anything to help her brother escape a crushing gambling debt to Spencer. Spencer, to his amazement, finds Lady d'Orsay interesting, and later, dazzling.

Tessa Dare is an outstanding author, and the book is well-written, pacing lovely, characters interesting and absorbing, and I couldn't put it down till I finished. To say that I am looking forward to the second book in the series is an understatement. You'll love "One Dance with a Duke".

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This book started off well, but by the time I finished it I was pissed! If I could have reached through the pages of the book and throat punched the heroine, Amelia, I would have.

Spencer and Amelia have really great chemistry in the beginning. I really liked them both. Watching Amelia push beyond her wallflower image to claim that dance...it was great. I loved that he was so flummoxed by her. His little love affair with her embroidery was cute.

Spencer was a great character. All the mystique created by the ton meant nothing to him. I loved how the author turned the mysterious male trope on its head. He didn't mean to cause gossip, he was just trying to do his duty and escape. He was so amused when he found out what they were saying about him. I loved that he was a secret romantic. I liked that when we found out why he wanted the horse it was a simple reason. There's was no terribly complicated plot for him. It was a nice change.

I liked getting to know Bellamy and Ashworth. I thought they were really interesting. Bellamy is so steeped in roles that I wonder if he even remembers who he is anymore. I felt so bad for him when he kept insisting everyone but him marry Lily. He thought she deserved better than him. Ashworth seems a little less complex, but still intriguing. I wonder why he thinks his life would be better if he ended it. I think the men from the Stud Club made the book for me.

Speaking of the Stud Club, thank God Amelia and Lily didn't accept the club name with a straight face. I'm glad someone mocked it. With them poking fun at the name it made me feel the author was inviting us to share the joke with her. It was nice.

Well, now we're down to what ruined the book for me...Amelia. I had such high hopes for her. I really liked her in the beginning! I loved that she married Spencer for practical reasons. Watching her weigh the pros and cons really made me respect her. She seemed very mature and levelheaded. Unfortunately, she didn't stay that way.

All of a sudden they're married and she wants to have a chaste marriage until he convinces her he didn't kill anyone. If you really thought he killed someone, you idiot, why did you go through with the marriage? You made a deal when you married him. Why should he have to go through with his end of the bargain when you clearly won't go through with yours? While denying him sex she still finds time to gloat to herself about the new households she has. That takes a lot of brass right there. You haven't even consummated the marriage, it can still be annulled if you don't stop acting like a twit.

So, Amelia decides she's only denying him sex because she's really afraid to fall in love with him. May I take a second to stop and point out how irritating I find this belief? Sex and love don't always go hand in hand. Why do these women persist in believing (and practicing) that? Irritating! Moving on... So, she decides she'll finally give it up. I felt we were going to get back to the Amelia I enjoyed. The one that had a clue. She goes to tell him, but the when he becomes the aggressor, because she won't spit it out, she freaks and literally runs from him. What is wrong with you???

That's not my only problem with her though! Spencer says this to her:

"Amelia," he whispered, "at this moment, I don't think you'd recognize the truth if it pinched you on the bottom."

That really summarizes my opinion of her. I don't know what reality she was in, but it sure wasn't the one I was reading. Spencer tries to buy her family home that she loves to help her brother cover his debts. He won't give him the money freely, but he'll help him out and give Amelia something she'll love. She decides he's "stripping" her family's pride. Later she's okay with someone else buying it and bulldozing it. Why was it not okay for him to buy it?

Amelia's worst flaw is that she puts her brother ahead of everyone else. She coddles him while he bankrupts the family and lashes out at anyone who doesn't want to enable him. A situation develops at the end that was all her fault. Even when she admitted she was to blame she still didn't see the reality of her brother. It was aggravating!

The biggest thing that pissed me off was the end. Amelia was the one in the wrong, but Spencer was the one who had to come to her and prove his worth. What??? She left him, not the other way around. She chose her brother over him. Why did he have to make the effort to get her back? Arghhh!!!!

Even though I really disliked this book I think I'll read the next one. I liked the author's writing, and I liked the story she was telling, I just hated Amelia. Let's hope the next book won't have another of her ilk.

I've read many of TESSA Dares books and they just keep getting better and better. I love the characters she choses and the storylines are awesome. I can't wait to start my next one. All of her storylines ars fully planned out a pull in with great interest. Thanks Tess.

This book is a definite keeper for me. Spencer and Amelia are a terrific couple; unconventional, but believably so, and very intelligent. They both have good reasons for being wary of romantic entanglements, and yet they can't deny being strongly attracted to each other. That attraction is emotional and cerebral, not just physical, and they both have to make some tough choices about honesty and self-disclosure to work it all out.

Tessa Dare is a fine writer; for me, her prose just flows. She rarely falls into clichés, even in sex scenes. Her characters and the situations they are unique enough to be interesting without straining credibility, at least for me. I wondered how she would handle an older heroine, since her first trilogy featured very young ones, and I'm pleased to find that she manages very well.

An ok read. The plot was not all that well thought out and the romance was predictable. The characters were likeable and somewhat interesting. I enjoyed the Spindle Cove series by Dare, but the Stud Club was not nearly as clever.

This was a very entertaining story. I couldn't put it down. I read it in one day staying up late. But worth it and will do it again. Dont want to spoil anything just read it for yourself. Happy Reading.

I have read this story several times. I love all the spindle cove books by Tessa dare but this is the only other one of hers that I like. She really captures your attention in this story and it sinfully good!

excellent read extremely sexy love scenes and dialogue not tiring and very easy to read realistic characters loved it my first book by this author and i was not the least disappointed im off to buy more!thanks ms dare

My second Tessa Dare book and I am totally HOOKED! Can hardly wait for June 25th to arrive for the next offering in this series.

Our little, gutsy heroine who refused to be ignored for the Duke's singular, much anticipated midnight waltz finds herself tossed into a whirlwind of murder, greed and a totally unexpected marriage.

Twists, turns, secrets and torrid romance! Don't miss this one.....or the next and next?? (Rhys and Bellamy, of course)

Ok, so I have read a few other books by Tessa Dare and loved them. And before I get into why I only have this book 1 star, I want to first say that I love strong heroines who can hold their own against their hero's but who also don't make themselves out to be the victims and the martyrs, especially when they put themselves on the positions that they are in. I loved the heroine for the first 1/4 of the book. However, she did a complete 180, on their wedding night and I felt sorry for the hero. All of the things she accused the hero of she knew when she married and on top of the he gave her an out and she didn't take it. But now because she's protecting herself from him, when she needs to be protecting herself from her brother, she doubts his character and basically calls him a murderer. I couldn't even get throught the book honestly so I skipped a few pages over to see that she was still playing games, I flipped to the end, where I see that her husband gave her an ultimatum between him and her brother. And she chooses her brother, which is stupid I'm sorry because her brother only uses her and her husband has always protected and tried to show her worth. And then she makes me want to slap her more when she drops the bomb that she pregnant. Because the only reason that she told him at this time was because she was hurt that he was making her choose, in which I say bravo to him. Now the book would have been better for me if she had that one friend who told her how insecure, naive, and childish, she was but no she has this epiphany that she can't take care of her brother anymore. And she finally tells her husband, who mind you has been wounded, and she left him. And I'm all for helping family, but you can see from the beginning of the book all her brother did was manipulate and use her. And then there's no heartfelt apology to her husband for her side or anything smh. The one star is for the first 1/4 of the book, and for the hero.

This book was delightfully different. the characters did not fit the cookie cutter mold.
If you are tired of overtly dashing heros and heroines that need coaxing give this book a try. I will not reveal the plot...

I love this book!! She is one of the best heroines I have ever read. Its very hard to find a book with heroine who is smart, intelligent and not annoying. This book is perfect for anyone one who wants to feel emotional connection with the characters of the book. I can't wait to try other books in the series.

I enjoy her writing style and her characters are wonderful.....especially her heroines. They have personality and courage and kindness. This is a wonderful romance story with plenty of chemistry and never a dull moment.

Terrific style of writing for this historical, flowed really well. Before you know it it was over via all the wonderful emotions the characters rumbled through. I nearly didn't read this because I thought it would be predictable - so glad I did. Bks 2 & 3 just as good.

I enjoy her writing style and her characters are wonderful.....especially her heroines. They have personality and courage and kindness. This is a wonderful romance story with plenty of chemistry and never a dull moment.

The characters were not likable at all, specially the heroine, which had no backbone at all. She comes through as needy and too malleable. Some arguments are ridiculous and make no sense. Some others one would expect the argument to lead to something bigger and more meaningful, just to end lacking a point for the arguments existence.