When his past catches them up, what will they surrender...

I must say I had my doubts about this one, as I was far from fond of the heroine from the previous book, I was a bit dancing on my feet trying to decide if I would read the sequel. But I could not pass an author because I didn’t like a character or I would draw a line on too many persons. And hopefully I did not.
I loved both hero and heroine, they have their flaws, they make mistakes but I loved them in full.
Faith is no badass nor harridan, she only wants to seen and appreciated from who she is. So who is this estranged fiancé, is he a kind man or a wolf in sheep clothes.
She just wants time to know him because she refuses to go blindly in an arranged union without certainties for her own security.
And while she is attracted to him, can she trust him with her body and life. Her own parents often disparage her for her appearance, will he play the same game or will he see more past her curves.
Nick has devoted his last years to the crown, he is not very proud of his work but it saved life. Now close to retiring, he does not know any more if he wants to go forward with his betrothal as his fiancée and her friends decided they have every right to sneak into in life to prey on him.
Still he has his sorrows at the things he saw or did, it was done under duress of war but he feels like it weights on his soul. While he was at first upset at Faith, the more he gets to know her, the more her kind personality smooths his scared self. The more he falls for her, the more he feels he does not deserve her.

I loved how their relationship progressed, it is a slow paced journey with some peaks as they walk on tiptoe around one another, asking questions, being rebuffed until they have no other choice than to trust the other.
But when life goes back to its normal course, what about them together? Nick never followed the easy path, and while he is not after revenge, he wants to fulfill his duty even if it might cost him the woman made for him. Will Faith be able to wait for him knowing he is in danger.

This is a tale full of actions but some dark moments, but the tenderness and selflessness of Faith and Nick’s surrender and will to protect her at all cost lighten this story.
I just hope Geb will have his own story one day.
5 stars

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Kensington, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

After her dear friend’s disastrous marriage, Lady Faith Landon is terrified when her parents announce her betrothal to a man she’s never met. Her fiancé is cloaked in mystery and not long returned from France, causing Faith to wonder about his loyalties and if he could be betraying his country. Faith couldn’t be more wrong, as her fiancé is indeed a spy, but has just returned to England after infiltrating Napoleon’s network of spies in a very dangerous mission.

Nicholas Ellsworth, the Duke of Breckenridge, is just happy to be home and longs to settle down into a peaceful life with his new wife. But when he learns Faith has been lying to him in order to investigate him, he’s infuriated by her deceit and uncertain he can abide a marriage without trust. Despite their rocky start, there is a definite connection between Faith and Nicholas and when she realizes she’s misjudged him, Faith arranges a secluded, if forced, getaway with Nicholas to explore their chance at a loving marriage away from prying eyes. But her plan has dire consequences when three French spies, former connections of Nicholas’, take advantage of their seclusion to exact revenge on Nicholas. Though their love seems more assured than ever, surviving to see it through seems increasingly unlikely.

This book is an improvement on its predecessor by leaps and bounds. The writing was good once I settled into the style and the wallflowers were much more likable and endearing. This story jumps straight into the middle of things as the estrangement between Nick and Faith comes about because of the events of the first book, so I’d definitely recommend reading this series in order or you may be confused. We’re light on the steam here, but several scenes feature torture and some pretty dark scenes, more so than a typical historical romance. Along those lines, I would’ve liked to see more on page scenes between Nick and Aurora as they discussed their shared experiences, so I’m hoping that was plugged in this book to be revisited later in the series. I thought Faith and Nick were lovely together and so sweet, especially Nick, but I would’ve liked to see each of them have more confidence in the other’s feelings. After everything they went through together, it took them entirely too long to be completely forthright with each other. Their repeated encounters with the French villains got to be a bit much as well and Nick was put in several situations that were rather unbelievable given his rank as a duke. I also wanted punishment for the villains that was not forthcoming, but maybe that’s also being saved for later. This ending was also just a bit abrupt (I’m an epilogue fan), but I’m guessing that’s because the next book will again pick up immediately after this one and hopefully leave me feeling more satisfied as I really wanted to see Nick put Faith’s parents in their place. Complaints aside, I really did enjoy this book and this couple, and I’ll look forward to the next book in this series now and I’m glad I gave it another shot.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advanced review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Even if it's well written I couldn't connect to the characters and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

So this is actually book two in a series.. Which I did not know when starting it haha..! This book is definitely understandable and enjoyable without having read the first book, but I do think it would add to the experience, having read the first book. At some parts in the book it felt like the author assumed you knew certain characters or character relationships, so those were probably already present in the first book!

I really liked our main characters, Nick and Faith, they both had some interesting stories. Nick used to be a spy, so there were some interesting stories there, although I would have liked to learn a bit more! I also really enjoyed Lady Faith, since she really went out of her way to make her own decisions, and not let her parents make those decisions for her.

As the summary says, there is some revenge scene since people from Nick’s past are not too happy with him. In this part the atmosphere of the book is set very well, and you could actually feel the fear and braveness of Lady Faith!

This was definitely an enjoyable read and was nice to read in between big fantasies! I’m pretty sure I will try out her other works! For example book one of this series :p

What a thriller; to me, this is less a typical romance and more an adventure story. That's not a problem but it certainly keeps your heart pumping fast. The second in a series (The Wallflowers of West Lane) about four young ladies who met at a finishing school for troublemakers, this is nonstop adventure. Lady Faith Landon doesn't want to marry a stranger, even a duke, so she investigates the man her parents want her to marry. He takes umbrage (this is a secondary thread in the first book in the series) and wants her to break the betrothal; but Faith isn't going away easy. In the investigation, she has begun to see the man not the duke. To investigate him further — and perhaps save their betrothal — she arranges a secret getaway. That's when the thriller portion of the story takes over. Nicholas Ellsworth, Duke of Breckenridge, is a secret agent for the English Crown. His enemies want revenge. It is brutal, but with plenty of heroics from all parties to make the story lighter even amid actual torture. This is a story of two people who don't know how to trust, and must find their way to each other. The four friends remain key parts of the story and A.S. Fenichel is clever at setting out what looks to be the next story. It's so enjoyable, but it's important to read these books in order to enjoy the full flavor. Enjoy the ride! It's fast and furious. (I received an ARC from NetGalley; opinions mine.)

This series is about a group of girls that all went to the same finishing school due to misbehavior. They make an oath to remain single until they find true love. I haven't read book 1, and I definitely think it should be read prior to this one. I rather felt like I had jumped into the middle of a story by just starting book 2. Faith and Nicholas already are engaged and somewhat estranged due to Nicholas' anger over her spying on him trying to find if he's a worthwhile husband.

Nicholas is trying to come to terms with the fact that his fiance doesn't trust him and is allowing her to break off the engagement. Faith is hesitant to do so, however, and I only wanted to find out if he was a decent man. The book picks up with them still dancing around each other, trying to get to know each other better.

Give this book a try if you are in the mood for
A spy hero
Lighter steam – there are open door kisses and sex but it's very short and not very descriptive
Darker themes – on page scenes of torture, threats, talk of death
A bit of an arranged marriage – it was put together by Faith's mother, who also wrote letters to Nicholas, though he thought many were from Faith herself.
Full figured heroine – there's some talk about her curves and how she loves food

This book surprised me a bit. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't the level of violence that is here. And that's not a turn off for me, but I'm going to get pure violence I need gritty, mind blowing sex. That wasn't here. The sex is quite short, not as descriptive as I like. There's a lot of danger and plot points about the hero being a spy. That combined with walking into the story half started (or at least that's how I felt) left me feeling lackluster about this book. I think you will like it more if you read book 1 in the series first, so I definitely recommend that.

I liked this second in series romance a lot. Nicholas and Faith are well matched in temperment and spirit. Although they are engaged to marry, neither of them are committed to the union. Nicholas’ past catches up with him in the form of a trio of French spies bent on revenge, and Faith is inadvertently involved in the ensuing violence. With the support and love of her “Wallflower” friends, Faith and Nicholas find their way out of the peril.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First of all, I love the male lead, Nick. He's fully fleshed out, has a great backstory that gets explored, and brings with him the most interesting character in the book.
Unfortunately, I never managed to actually care for our heroine, Faith. She's a strong heroine that doesn't conform to Ton rules straight out of central casting. Nothing about her stood out for me or made me truly care about her as an individual.
However, and oddly enough, the chemistry when both characters share the page is incredible. It's their interactions and when events place them together that this book shines. The plot moves at a great pace and has some great spy intrigue to keep things going. It's a combination of how much I enjoyed the twists in the plot and the fantastic character chemistry that earned this book such a high rating despite what I consider a very lackluster heroine. It really much more Nick's book than Faith's, but maybe I should just look at it as a joint effort.
Do be warned that it took me a few chapters to figure things out as this is the second volume of the series and it drops you into the middle of the action with no backstory whatsoever. I found it somewhat confusing at first, but hints to a backstory do eventually get dropped to help new readers figure out where things stand.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the early read!

The way this book was described, I thought it would be part of a loose series. You know, the characters are interconnected but each book could standalone. But that's not the case with this one! When I started the first chapter, I had to go back and make sure it was actually the first chapter because it seemed like I was just dropped in the middle of the book. Nothing made sense whatsoever. I was disappointed, because I was looking forward to this one. Maybe if I read the first installment, it would make more sense.

Not your typical historical romance. Faith is a wallflower by choice. She is determined to make informed decisions about her future despite her parents and society’s expectations. Nicholas is a man with many secrets. Despite his ire he is attracted to his fiancée, Faith. The story shows two people who are stubborn and determined. It is these two traits that will help them survive the horrors that will befall them both. They show true grit and love for each other that is an outstanding trait in a couple. This is an awesome story.

I enjoyed this book more than its predecessor - The Earl not Taken. The previous book had all of the back story - not to mention an incredibly stubborn heroine (to the point that I almost DNF).

This time around, the action starts practically right from the first page, and never really lets up except for the few tender or steamy moments. The writing seems more cohesive, and the characters are more fully developed. Yes, there are a few ends left untied but I am hoping the next two books will wrap those up nicely.

I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was an interesting book, but I found it difficult to follow along chronologically- it jumps around a bit, and there is nothing to mark that it has. It was also more graphic (re: violence) then I was expecting.

Don't judge a book by it's cover. Cutesy cartoon cover, with a puppy! From the blurb and the cover, I was definitely expected something a little more light hearted. For some readers this book should come with content trigger warnings, which I'll post below.

The book opens and we are smack dab in the middle of the relationship of Lady Faith Landon and Nicholas Ellsworth, Duke of Breckenridge. Apparently their meeting, betrothal, and subsequent shenanigans to try to end the betrothal all happen in book one. If you read book one's blurb, it revolves around the group of female friends spying on Nicolas to make sure he's a good, solid, upstanding fit for their friend Faith. That book centers around an entirely different couple, even though the plot appears to center around Faith and Nicolas.

So back to Misleading a Duke. We start in the middle of Faith and Nick's relationship, and it doesn't appear that they know each other very well at all, certainly no affection (even though they are both lusty after each other).

There was a lot of telling and not showing to catch the reader up to an entire previous book's worth of story.

Faith and her friends still want to make sure the duke is a good guy before they call off the engagement. They suspect him of being of spy. Of course, they are right. The friends (and I did like the female camaraderie) scheme to get Faith and Nick alone at another friend's house to talk.

This is where there is an abrupt shift for almost half the book.

They have a few tender moments together, then all hell breaks loose. Three men from Nick's past hold Faith, Nick, and their small group of servants hostage. A lot of violence ensues. Trigger warning: on page torture, very graphic at times, talk and threats of rape. This was not for the faint of heart. I will say, this was written very well. You could feel the pain, smell the blood. It was quite gory. Faith was an awesome character in how strong she was through this ordeal.

Of course, this horrible experience brings Faith and Nick together. But what I lacked still was the actual chemistry between the two. If it wasn't for this violent episode, would they even like each other?

So the bad guys were bad. They did not get their due and did not get punished. I'm assuming that they will make appearances in subsequent books to play havoc.

So, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, stressful and violent situation for the main couple. I was engaged with the book, but I didn't love it. But I think I'll definitely read book one to see where this one began.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.

First I just wanted to say that I absolutey LOVE this cover. Its what first drew me to the book..
This is a book about Nick and Faith who are engaged.. kind of? Technically? Faith wanted to know Nick better so she and her wallflower friends decided to spy on him to figure out what kind of guy he is.. Only it didn't go as planned, and now Nick doesn't want any thing to do with Faith. There are things about his past that he doesn't want anyone to know especially Faith.. Well these secrets come back to bite him in the butt.. There are secrets, and spies, and kidnapping and torture.. It went from zero to 100 in just a few chapters which I really enjoyed..
However after the inital conflict that served to draw the couple together everything slowed way down with just a few minor conflicts before the couple gets their happy ever after. I think if the kidnapping stuff had happened towards the end I would have been more satisfied..
Also while we do learn why Faith was pushing to figure out who Nick was, it felt like she was just pushing to hard she wanted to know everything right now..
I think you should definitely read book 1 first as this one starts directly after, and thats where we get Faith spying on Nick, and the initial fallout when he figures out whats happening.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will review this book on my instagram about 1 to 2 weeks before its released, and on amazon and barnes and noble within a few days of its release date. .

This book was a wild ride.

I loved how strong willed Faith was and didn’t back down from her goal to learn if Nicholas was right for her.

The espionage of Nicolas’s past Proves fruitful in opening his hard exterior to reveal his softer interior side to Faith.

I need to go back and read book one!

Series: The Wallflowers of West Lane #2
Publication Date: 9/29/20
Number of Pages: 240

This is an exciting, action-packed, fast-paced, well-written book that is populated with exceptional characters and some really vile villains. This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I always look forward to her next book. While this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone, but you won’t have as deep an understanding of the relationships between the characters if you miss that first book. But – why would you miss it, it was a great read.

We first met The Wallflowers of West Lane in The Earl Not Taken. They were four young ladies who had problems following society’s rules, so their parents sent them to Switzerland to attend Agatha Wormbattle’s School for Young Ladies. While the parents all viewed it as a punishment, the young ladies – Aurora, Faith, Poppy, and Mercy – viewed it as the best thing to ever happen to them. They formed a strong, unbreakable bond and they’ve allowed nothing to separate them since. However, they do all have one very real fear and that has been the driver in these first two books, and I suspect in the next books as well. Aurora was married off to a man she’d never met and he was exceedingly cruel – both physically and emotionally. When that man died, they all vowed they’d never let that happen to another one of them. In the first book, Rhys and Poppy get together because they are investigating the man to whom Faith has become betrothed. While Rhys and Poppy got their HEA, Faith’s betrothed wasn’t happy with being investigated and asked Faith to call off the betrothal. Thus – we now have our second book featuring Faith and her betrothed.

Nicholas Ellsworth, Duke of Breckenridge, spent years on the continent as a spy for the crown. He has many secrets and he’s not proud of any of them. However, to protect his country, he’d do all of it again. He is incensed when he learns that his betrothed and her friends are investigating him! He doesn’t question why they would be doing it, he just tells her that she needs to call off the betrothal. He doesn’t want to ruin her by calling it off himself. Yet she hasn’t called it off yet. He’s attracted to her, but he cannot share his secrets and will not be questioned.

Lady Faith Landon has convinced her uncaring parents to allow her to live with her widowed friend Aurora only because she is betrothed. If she weren’t betrothed, they would force her to move back into their home and they’d be shopping for a husband for her. Faith isn’t sure she wants to call off the betrothal, but she does want to get to know Nicholas better. He just won’t cooperate. He’ll hardly speak to her. So, she and her friends come up with a plan to force him to spend time with her.

All they need to do is trick him into coming to someplace remote and then stranding him and Faith together for a few days. Good plan until it all goes horribly wrong and Nick’s past comes back to haunt them. With their lives in peril, they’ll have to learn to trust each other. Can they learn to trust each other? Can they learn to love each other? Can they even make it through all of it alive?

OH! It is an exciting fast-paced, story that I’m sure you’ll love. I sure did. I, of course, wish there was an epilogue because I always LOVE epilogues. I also love Author’s Notes and I would have loved to see some author’s notes on Special Licenses and also Joseph Fouche who was a real-life villain of the French Revolution. Now, I can hardly wait for the next book, Capturing the Earl, which will feature Mercedes (Mercy) and Wesley Renshaw, Earl of Castlewick.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Misleading a Duke continues right where we left off in The Earl Not Taken… Lady Faith has finally found he betrothed, Nicholas, the Duke of Breckenridge, character to be pleasing and well suited to marriage after having her friends investigate him… but now he just wants her to call off the engagement.

As a means to an end, she tricks him into spending time with her at a secluded home, in order to better quant themselves and give their betrothal a chance.. too bad Nicholas’s past has other idea.

This book went from zero to fifty in mere seconds! I wasn’t ready for the action that hit so early in the book and was caught off guard. I was expecting a fluffier story and instead it was much grittier, but the characters strength was able to shine through. I was impressed by the characters, but still struggled at the beginning attaching myself to their circumstances doe to how quickly things escalated.

After the high drama of the beginning passed, I felt like we were catching up on the characters before more drama was thrown in at the end… It was a bit of a roller coaster. I was pleased and was able to breath easy when the book wrapped up with the HEA and only another small wrench thrown into the mix!

Content Warning Below - May contain spoilers

Misleading a Duke by A. S. Fenichel is scheduled to release September 29th, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#MisleadingADuke #ASFenichel #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

Content Warning- Depictions of torture and abuse, talk of spousal abuse and verbal abuse from a parent.

I was really interested in the plot of Misleading A Duke. I was looking forward to an arranged marriage and espionage. I was a little disappointed.

I found the relationship between Nicholas and Faith to be lacking substance. Having not read the first book in the series I felt no connection between them until the later half of the book. I would have liked to see a deeper connection in their romance. To me, they seemed to be apart from each other for big chunks of times and couldn’t understand how they “loved” each other. I enjoyed the friendship of the West Lane ladies. Their friendship was nice to see.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and found it an easy read. Unfortunately, I also noticed that I was not truly engaged in the book. I would read a chapter or two and then return in a few days.

A.S. Fenichel's characters are not carbon copies of other historical romances. Misleading A Duke is the second book in this series. I enjoyed this book even more as the Wallflowers personalities are revealed. The hero and heroine got their HEA. I think, though, that this book should have a violence warning for horrible scenes of torture and mutilation. Hopefully, no other characters in this series will experience violence at this level.

I was provided with an advance readers copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion voluntarily given.

I would like to thank netgalley and Kensington Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

It felt like it started up halfway through a story.