Hestia and Alex have a powerful attraction that you can feel throughout the book. The addiction portion of the story was a little hard at first but once I was further along in the book I didn't mind so much. I cannot wait to read Michael's story.

Lady Hestia Cary is in trouble. She has to find her father before he is declared dead and her cousin, Fredrick, kills her for her inheritance. She asks Alexander Sylvester Bracken, Duke of Bedford, for help. He accompanies her back to the Mediterranean where they both first met. Six years ago, Alex saved Hestia from the cruel arms of a Turkish pirate. Since then, Hestia has been enamored with Alex, and sees this opportunity as her last chance to woo him.
This was a beautiful historical romance that has enough action and adventure to keep your bedside lamp on all night. I loved how the author uses characters that have both a good and a dark side. One minute they can be dastardly pirates and a moment later they become gentlemen rogues with honor. Everyone who loves a pirate romance needs to read this book. An Advanced Reading Copy was received in exchange for an honest review.

Did not finish due to my dislike of espionage. I assumed it was a background portion of the plot but it is a much larger part of the story line.

Oh My Gosh! I just finished Addicted To The Duke and it was better than words can describe.
From the very beginning I was hooked. There was action that made me hold my breath, plotting and planning, and of course Romance.
I was drawn into the story and fell for Alex (the Hero). I won't give any of the story away, so no spoilers, but our Hero is damaged. He has a back story that is carried in his mind for years. He feels unworthy and unlovable. This makes him desperate for vengeance.
Hestia (the sweet heroine) is young and naive at first, but grows up knowing what she wants and what she feels. She is strong, but has a light about her that shines on those she loves. If someone is lucky enough to feel that light and warmth he should stay with it, but sometimes Heroes are not very bright and they make bad choices. (oh Alex you fool)
The secondary characters all deserve their own stories. I would love to see Jacob and Stephen in upcoming books. And David, somehow. I can't wait for new books, no matter who the Hero is. ;-)

Another superb historical by Ms. Evans. Interesting and unique plot kept me hooked.

Alex and Hestia's story was action packed and hot. I've been waiting to find out what happened to Alex since I first started reading this series. If you haven't read the other books in ths series yet, you need to. Bronwen is an amazing writer.

4 Stars! I enjoyed reading this book. It was an entertaining & interesting read! This book is well written & kept me intrigued! I do wish that I had more background on the main characters-Hestia & Alex. I felt so bad for Alex! Not only was he forced to be a slave but he is addicted to opium & feels he isn't good enough for the one woman he cares for! Hestia is in love with Alex from the beginning & I didn't really understand how she could keep looking past everything Alex did to push her away! I wanted to smack Alex so bad for some of the things he was doing!! I didn't care for Hestia's father-he was a jerk! I was a bit surprised with some of the things that happen towards the end! I didn't see it coming at all!! This was a really good book, definitely worth reading!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!*

This is the first book of Bronwen Evans that I have read and I happily report that it will not be the last. The first book in the Imperfect Lords series, Addicted to the Duke sweeps us back in time to meet Alexander Bracken, Duke of Bedford, and Lady Hestia Cary. I thoroughly enjoyed Lady Hestia's character who is strong, determined and quick-witted. Alex is a bit more complex with the demons that he faces from his past along with his opium addiction. Still he is an honorable man determined to do what he feels is right. The story is full of action, adventure and steamy romance! I am impatiently waiting for the next book in this Imperfect Lords series!

Another great book from Bronwen. Loved the characters and the spark between them. Never disappointed with her.

Bronwen Evans' writing often deals with the darker subjects in life. Because the writing is so intense I sometimes have to take a break from the book just to 'settle'. This book also deals with darkness -- addiction and forced captivity -- but it isn't as dark as some of her books. During the time period of this book, little was understood about opioid addiction. People freely smoked opium and doctors freely prescribed laudanum for just about any ailment, so it was easy to become addicted. The addiction in this book was an addiction forced upon our hero during his 2-year captivity by Sultan Murad Bayezid.

Alexander Sylvester Bracken, Duke of Bedford was captured by Murad when he was about 20 years old and was forced into opium addiction for the entertainment of Murad. While he was under the influence Alex was coerced into many acts which caused him shame and humiliation. Once he escaped captivity he felt unclean and unworthy and he used sex and alcohol to control his addiction.
Ms. Evans writes so compellingly that you can feel Alex's craving for opium and how hard it is for him to fight that craving.

Lady Hestia Cary was sixteen when she was captured by Murad's pirates. Fortunately for her she was rescued within four days by Alex. While she was unharmed because she had not yet been turned over to Murad, she suffered nightmares afterward. She also fell in love with Alex and thought maybe he loved here too. Lady Hestia is a very loving and strong young lady and I think you'll admire her strength and tenacity.

This story shows Alex and Hestia dealing with their pasts while enduring the hardships and danger of trying to save Hestia's father from his conniving heir who wants to murder him and Hestia. Alex and Hestia's journey into love, acceptance and redemption is a wonderful one and I just know you'll enjoy it.

"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

This one was a little outside the norm for the historical romance genre but I did enjoy it. Ms. Evans handled a difficult subject with finesse and empathy. It wasn't an easy road for these characters but the journey was well worth it.

Disclaimer.... if you have a problem reading a story that has rape situations and perhaps some darker elements then it may not be the book for you. As it is definitely not the book for me. However, being fair... I had to rate the read based upon the works as I saw it.

So for many this would be a five star buy buy buy buy buy book. It is enthralling and captivating in the story. The characters the plots and the way it unfolds. I had a very very hard time making myself finish the book but did it anyway as I promised to give a review for the arc. The writer is beyond talented and has a perfect way of setting up her plots. She has strong characters and very strong plot lines. So if this is a type that would not bother you then i would say definitely buy this book! The author is extremely talented!
I was given this arc via netgalley from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept in return for an honest review. Anna

I admit it, I am a historical romance junkie and have been since my middle school days (although, in my days, it was called junior high school). I have enjoyed reading a few of Bronwen Evans other books. This particular book is An Imperfect Lords novel. The writing, as I have come to expect, flows well and keeps the reader involved with the characters. This story is set in the Regency period, in the early 1800's , and deals with opium addiction and the pirates that inhabit and plague the seas around Turkey and Greece. It tells the tale of the Marquess of Tavistock, Alexander Bracken; once held as a prisoner and slave, for 2 years by a Turkish pirate and turned into an opium addict by his captor, Murad. I enjoyed this story and found it's message about opium and laudanum and how it caused so much addiction and death to so many in the 1800's, before the medical community realized what an addiction was. Alex struggled with his demons regarding his opium addiction and his years in captivity throughout the story. It was very well done.

I have read quite a few other books by this author and loved every one of them, so to me this book was a bit of a let down in comparison. Don't get me wrong the author's strong writing is still there, however this story is just more repetitive than her others. Yes, I understand Alex feels he is damaged and unworthy of Hestia's love. Yes, I completely understand the reasons why. I do not need them mentioned time and again.

Other than that, I enjoyed this story. Opium addiction is not something that is commonly talked about in romance novels to the extent it was here, therefore it was interesting seeing how this author managed to take such a heavy topic and weave it into the story so that the core of the romance remained. I also enjoyed the palpable desire that could be felt between Hestia and Alex - especially when they refused to act upon it. It eventually turned into red hot passion when finally unleashed.

I do think this story will still appeal to a lot of romance fans, especially ones that enjoy a more forward female character, or those that enjoy a damaged male lead, and I will definitely read more from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I am normally a Bronwen Evans fan, but this book was not for me. Alex saves Hestia, and she falls in love with him. Alex knows she was infatuated with him, so he goes out of his way to avoid her. He is .dependant on laudanum and woman, to forget what he went thru. Hestia knows he is with other woman, so if it were me, I would move on. This is not a love story for me, maybe you will enjoy it.

4.5 - Another solid historical romance by Browen Evans. I especially appreciated the forward explaining the history of opium use and addiction.

The Duke is a courageous man, haunted by his past. While slave to a self-proclaimed sultan, Alex is made an addict and forced to do unspeakable things. Later, Lady Hestia was briefly a prisoner of this same sultan, but Alex rescued her. She’s been in love with him ever since. When their paths cross again, Lady Hestia has summoned Alex to help save her and her father from ruin and worse. What follows is an adventure filled with danger, passion and a surprise or two.

It’s an excellent read with a surprising twist or two.

I received an ARC of this book, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Fun romance with pirates, lost love and literally moustache-twirling evil.

I received this from Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was book one in an new series from Bronwen Evans. I just wasn't a huge fan. It was really hard for me to get into in the beginning. He was a duke with an addiction and a craving for a woman that he should not want. We also have a woman "in love" with her rescuer. Yeah, it just was hard to get into about two third into it the story picked up but just an okay read for me.

This is an epic drama of love, lies, self-control, suspense, surprises and secrets. I love Alex, he's a strong, honorable, broken survivor with very low esteem. Hestia is also a strong but naive survivor. I can't say that Alex is very reliable, but Hestia isn't too brilliant when it comes to her safety. But the love Hestia has for Alex, and Alex unknowingly has for her is special because of the horrifying bond that they share. Their story exemplifies Murphy's Law, but intense and engrossing. It's a captivating storyline that keeps you turning the pages.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest opinion of it.