Fabulous debut by Scarlett Peckham! It's a BDSM themed romance, with Archer feeling he needs to atone for a loss in his life by experiencing pain. No one knows of his secret, and when he's faced with having to marry and produce an heir, he ends up with a most unlikely woman - the female botanist Poppy whom his sister hires to make a lavish forested setting for her ball. Poppy discovers Archer's secret desires and finds that rather than repel her, they fascinate her.

This historical details are well written and engaging, drawing the reader into the world with ease. The sex is steamy, and the emotional connection between Archer and Poppy grows as they share details of their lives with each other. But revealing that they are falling in love with each other is a step that requires trust and there are some ups and downs for them as they strive to understand and be the person the other one needs. The happy ending is worth the wait and the story kept me enthralled all the way through. Archer and Poppy turn out to be a perfect match. I can't wait to read the next in the series!

Review has been posted on Goodreads and will be posted at sale sites during release week.

This. Is a truly disgusting book! I cannot believe that I waited for him to change by her loving him! This is absolutely nothing but pornography! Netgalley you should put a warning in the blurb!
I don't recommend! Garbage!

I received an ARC copy of the book from Netgally in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

Wow. The book was hot. Wonderfully hot. I loved Poppy. She's quirky in a modern way that just makes her in unique in the book. She's fiercely independent and adamant she remain so. Fortunately for Archer, our leading man, his sister meddles in his love life and the result is him having to marry Poppy.

I like them as a couple. They both are a little broken inside. I hate it when someone says the other person fixes you. They don't. They just can be a little broken together. Poppy and Archer are broken together. Which comes across as pure magic in the book.

What I found interesting is Archer is a masochist and somewhat of a sexual submissive. He enjoys pain and likes to be dominated by women. It's interesting as it's usually the woman that is protrayed in the submissive role. I'm not saying Archer is submissive (not all the time at least) but he craves being dominated in a sexual way. It was an interesting change of pace in a romance book.

Overall, I loved the book. It was well written and the characters had a lot of depth. I will recommend it to pretty much anyone who loves romance. And I will definitely be ready more of this author in the future.

On my, what an absolutely great book. It's filled with love and yearning and angst. Poppy Cavendish grows plants and flowers. She has been asked to decorate the house for Constance. She is the sister of Archer Stonewell who is the Duke of Westmead. Poppy is busy trying to get her plants and flowers off the land of a relative. She can't decorate and move her plants both. Constance speaks to her brother about getting help for Poppy so she can decorate the house. Constance and Archer li!e each other but he is getting ready to ask someone else to marry him. Due to someone seeing them together in a compromising situation, he offers for her. She agrees after a contract is filed that she will be able to keep her business and and Archer will help her every way he. But Archer has a deep, dark secret. It is one he cannot share with anyone for he is afraid he would lose everything. Will he be able to tell Poppy, will she accept him as he is? I loved this book. It hits upon many aspects of a marriage and relationship. I received this book teNet Galley for an honest review and no compensation otherwise.

This is the first book I've ever read by Scarlett Peckham, and I'm still unsure about it. It definitely grabs your attention from the first chapter and I never put it down without thinking about picking it back up again. Our hero, Archer, the Duke of Westmead, is a tortured soul in need of a wife. His sister Constance is planning on throwing a lavish ball at their newly repaired estate to find him a mate. Here is where our heroine comes in. She's a local botanist that is somewhat famous for her arrangements, and Constance finagles her into working for the Duke. Our H who is nicknamed the Merchant Duke, finds that he is much alike our h, both are business minded. There is an attraction there but it seems somewhat forced, all the elements are there, but for me it just didn't seem natural. And from the beginning of the book and the reluctance of the H when it came to kissing the h, I honestly thought the book would go in a different direction. Im glad to say it didn't. ******Spoilers Ahead******
After the ball the two are seen sharing a kiss, they say their goodbyes and think its over. When the H returns to London, its to find an article about himself and Poppy and scandal looming. Once the marriage takes place, things go completely down hill for me. Poppy, who before seemed like an independent woman happy to live out her life with her plants, becomes a spiteful child. She does things with the intent to anger Archer. This just annoyed me so much. Act like an adult! She knew the marriage was not a love match and after one night she expects him to reveal all of his secrets, and when he doesn't, she thinks of using a tea to prevent conception. Had this been to save herself and any child from an uncaring man, I would understand, but it was not. Its just one thing after another with her. Its like she doesn't get her way so she's going to act like a spoiled child who didn't receive the toy. I just could not get past her attitude. And her remarks at the fire? Seriously? It was just too much. I like that the book explored the side of the male being the subordinate of the light BDSM. It was new and interesting and well written. I give the author props for that. I would purchase from this author again, even though this book will not be a re-read, in hopes that the characters are a bit more mature.

What do you get when you put a very organized duke with heady secrets and an independent botanist together?

A marriage of convenience!

Or so follows THE DUKE I TEMPTED, a historical romance that follows the stories of two individuals whose work is their life. Archer, the Duke of Westmead, values control above all things. But it’s only when he’s in a secret townhouse on Charlotte Street (what this series is named after) does he let loose and find relief. Poppy is desperately trying to save her plant nursery and create a successful business out of her passions. When she gets hired to decorate the duke’s sister’s ball, they meet and sparks fly - but at the most inconvenient of times. Archer needs to find a bride that won’t ask any questions about him and that’s willing to spend his money without seeking his emotions. Poppy, for all her curiosity and empathy, can’t be that kind of bride. Until, of course, scandal brings them together.

“The world was not built to suit ambitious spinsters. One had to be a rather demanding and unpopular character if one wanted a chance of success.”

Thus begins a marriage that is equivalent to a business transaction. Poppy retains autonomy of her plant nursery and all Archer needs is an heir. Cue steamy times. But as each person grows more fond of the other, that marriage of convenience starts to unravel. Romantic feelings begin to develop. But… does Archer have the fate in his wife to tell his greatest secret?

Readers already know from the blurb that this secret is that he enjoys pain as a sexual relief, which is a scandal in and of itself. Archer is scared that Poppy would lose respect for him and would be disgusted by his kinks. Poppy, on the other hand, is ready to seek out her husband’s secrets so she can know the whole him. What follows is a tumultuous relationship built on hidden feelings and capricious actions. They’re both extremely passionate individuals, when sometimes all it takes is a little trust to have the kind of dialogue that will bring them closer. I really enjoyed the build-up of this particular conversation, and I think it had the perfect amount of angst, heartbreak, and healing to justify both characters’ fears and hopes.

“It was a gamble, to retire Poppy Cavendish.
But the fine fight wasn’t over yet. She would simply have to wage a war.
And she would do so under the banner of Duchess of Westmead instead.”

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters such as Constance, Archer’s scheming and vivacious little sister. Poppy’s independence, determination, and honesty was so refreshing to see, and Archer’s tortured soul was well-written and well-expressed. Archer especially was so interesting to read about because usually in historical romances we get super arrogant and confident heroes. Archer, on the other hand, had a lot of self-doubt and was unsure of himself, despite his popularity in the <i>ton</i> as being cold and unfeeling. It was nice getting to know him and what made him want and expect so much control, as well as what triggered him to lose it.

THE DUKE I TEMPTED is a sweet, and at times sorrowful, historical romance that fans of the genre will devour. Archer and Poppy are both unique individuals that have amazing chemistry and a well-balanced relationship. I love the respect they have for each other, despite seemingly contrary actions, and the trust they build when they eventually gave in. Plus, sexy times = smoking! I really recommend this historical romance to readers who are looking for a sweet story of lost souls coming together. I myself don’t particularly seek out stories with BDSM, but it was quite light in this one and was written quite beautifully in the way it advanced both the plot and relationship growth. Definitely a historical romance not to be missed!

Trigger/Content Warnings: BDSM, masochism, mention of assult, death of loved ones, alcoholism, manipulation, explicit sexy times

Thank you NYLA and Netgalley for the review copy!

I thought this book was firmly fine. I didn't love it, I wasn't drawn in by either of the main characters, nor the plot. That said, the writing was enjoyable, enough to carry me through, and there was nothing glaringly bad about it, and I would certainly not say it was a bad book. I think somebody with slightly different character and romance tastes than me might really love it. But to me it was just OK.

So this book wasn't at all on my radar—I saw someone raving about it on twitter and they included a link to the page on NetGalley, and I clicked on the link to get a better idea of what the story was about, and all of a sudden I was approved to read it and it was on my shelf. Since I'm pretty selective in the books I request, I wasn't pleased that the link was essentially an automatic request approval, especially since not reading and reviewing it would pretty significantly impact my feedback ration. So I figured I'd give it a try and just DNF it quickly if I wasn't enjoying it.

As it turned out, I actually enjoyed this book a lot. I really liked getting to know Poppy and Westmead and watching them fall in love and work towards having a real marriage instead of just a marriage of convenience. Their was something about their story that got me really invested in them and their relationship, and I raced through this book pretty quickly.

However, I personally wasn't a fan of the BDSM angle. That's just my personal preference as a reader, though. It seemed well done, but it's not a subsection of romance that I personally have any intereste in, so I could have done without it. But it definitely didn't ruin the story for me, so I think it can still be enjoyable even if that aspect doesn't appeal to you. And if you love BDSM stories and are looking for a good historical, then I think this is a great option.

So despite some resentment and serious misgivings going into this book, I really liked it, which I think speaks volumes. It had a lot more to overcome for me than most readers, and it did so with flying colors!

I enjoyed the beginning of this book a lot, but once the main characters married, I felt they went back and forth in their conflicts too much. This is a personal preference, and I don't particularly think it's an issue, but more so that my own stress while reading the book changed my experience to less than it could have been. I found the characters enjoyable and the loved the frank discussion of consent; however, as I can't write an enthusiastic review for it, I won't be recommending it on the blog.

Thank you so much for the galley!

A very pleasant surprise. I saw a NetGalley link for this on Twitter and was lucky to get a copy.

There aren’t enough of this type of historical romance in the world. I adored this one and when I went to look to see if the author had other books out, I was surprised to find this was a debut. Wow - what a way to start! I will be keeping an eye out on for this author for sure.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!