Scarlett a daring, determined, commoner who believes in and fights for social justice crosses paths with Ambrose Duke of Aylesford. She is searching for a missing seamstress and prostitute Linie, he is righting his younger brothers mistakes and looking for missing prostitute Daisy. What follows is a mystery to solve about missing women and along the way maybe they will learn something new about each other and even find love. A pleasant easy read set in London in the pre victoriana era.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-galley of Duchess If You Dare.

Much in the vein of Notorious, Capturing the Earl, and Bringing Down the Duke, Duchess If You Dare stars Scarlett Wynn as the self-sufficient vigilante of London. She needs no man, and prefers to keep others safe than worry about her own safety. However, when she discovers that her seamstress Linnie has disappeared and further uncovers her secret lifestyle, Scarlett is bound and determined to find out what happened to Linnie.

Along her journey, she keeps crossing paths with Ambrose, the Duke of Aylesford. His brother has strong armed him into tracking down his missing brothel worker. As Scarlett and Ambrose's paths continue to intertwine, it is not long before they find themselves attracted to each other.

Will Scarlett find out what happened to Linnie? Will Ambrose shun the ton's conviction to do everything by the book?

This turned out to be a really interesting commoner/Duke romance that has a good mystery to add some spice to the proceedings.
Scarlet and Ambrose are a great couple in that they perfectly complement each other. You cant tell as soon as they meet that they will make a good match. Following along as they butt heads in a misguided attempt to protect the other is fun and pays off in the great interactions between the two.
I do wish that Bryant had fleshed out side characters a bit more instead of just using them as props to get the main couple from one point to another because I feel like it would have rounded out the plot a bit more.
My other complaint is that I'm somewhat disappointed in the way it ended. It felt super abrupt. Everything from how quickly, easily, and neatly the case was resolved to the instantaneous disappearance of all of Scarlet's very valid worries about marrying a Duke. Which is a total bummer because I really liked how independent Scarlet is throughout the book. This is definitely a book that highlights the heroine's ability to take care of herself and handle things as needed and the 180 her way of thinking takes at the end doesn't feel like a part of the character I read in the rest of the book.
In the end, it's a quick popcorn read of a book with engaging characters and a HEA, there's not much to complain about.

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

This was an interesting romance with a knife-wielding heroine and bland hero. The heroine in the story, Scarlett, was interesting enough, but I thought she could have been more badass considering she was a Maiden of Mayhem. I also would have liked more information on the group the Maidens of Mayhem and what they were all about.

I think the hero, the Duke of Aylesford, was lackluster and didn’t live up to my idea of a romance novel hero. I would have liked more character background on the Duke and maybe some banter/sparks between Scarlett and the Duke.

I did enjoy the mystery surrounding the missing girls from the brothel. That conflict was believable and interesting. Also, There are some open door steamy scenes in this book and I thought they were well written.


3.5/5

This book had everything that I look for in a historical romance like this. The idea was unique and great to read. The main characters had great chemistry. The romance was well done and well developed. The main characters were great to read from. The adventure and mystery were engaging and kept me on my toes.

I absolutely love reading historical romances that have darkness, grit, adventure, and mystery. It adds a little more "oomph" into the story. This book perfectly created a story that intertwined the grit and mystery of the underbelly of London and the light readability of traditional historical romances; I would recommend this book to everyone. This is perfect for fans of the PBS show Miss Scarlett and the Duke.

One thing that really stuck out to me during this book was the wonderful discussion of our patriarchal society and the several limits and expectations on women. Byrant beautifully put into the words the frustrations that women still face today. I loved reading the passages where the main character would talk about how women are restricted in society. I also loved watching the hero, who was unintentionally riddled with micro-misogyny, grow as a person and respect the heroine. There is a scene in this book where the hero is confidently walking through the slums of London and then he gets mugged, he starts fighting but to no avail. Then our heroine comes out of nowhere, beats up the bad guys, and saves the hero. And then the hero is just in absolute awe. The reversal of the damsel in distress/innocent woman trope was genuinely one of my favorite things about the book. The hero was clearly out of his element throughout the book, while the heroine had to save him and teach him whats going on multiple times.

The reasons I am giving this book a four-star are that the story did fall flat at some points for me because of their constant "we can't be together" scenes, the heroine started to sound a little preachy at some parts, and the hero's confidence and desire to keep the heroine safe despite clearly being out of his element kind of confused me. I will note that those things didn't stop me from enjoying the story and the romance.

I love book series that have a group of badass women that go around regency era England, solve crime, and serve justice to wronged women. So I am absolutely ecstatic for the next book.

- 4 stars -

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Anabelle Bryant for giving me an eARC for my honest review in return.

Duchess if You Dare by Annabelle Bryant
Posted on March 30, 2021 by Carol Early Cooney
Dear Fellow Reader,


A new week means a new book review. I have decided that I will never catch up with my list of books to read. There are more all the time and I sometimes feel like I am drowning in choices. I’ve fallen behind in book club and just see more and more books I want to read.

How terrific is that? How fortunate we are to have libraries full of books and so many new books coming out each week.

This week’s review is a new book by Annabelle Bryant. It is in a genre that if you asked me, I would say that I don’t generally read. But might not be true.


We are on to Romance Fiction.

I saw that blink. What? You think you don’t read romance? I bet you do but you don’t realize it. Jane Austin and Charlotte Bronte wrote romance novels. Oh, those love stories.

I think that those of us who are a certain age think of Harlequin Romances as the source of all romance novels. There are still Harlequin Romances but there are many other publishers as well and many types of romance books. I think back to the days of Sweet Savage Fury and the shirtless hero on the cover with a busty wench being saved – even though she probably didn’t want to be – at first. I think the genre was referred to as “bodice rippers”.


But there are now Historical Romance, Erotic Romance, Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Romance, and even Romantic Suspense to name a few of the sub-genres. The romance novel comes in many flavors and is set of a variety of tastes. Romance novels sales exceed $1 BILLION every year, selling more than many other genres combined. That means that one-third of all mass market fiction books are romance novels.

Not only that but traditionally, romance novels sell better during bad economic times than other forms of entertainment. Why? Because they can be at a lower price point and provide more escape from hard times.

So three cheers for the Romance Genre.


Duchess If You Dare by Annabelle Bryant is almost what I would think of as a “traditional” romance novel. Scarlett Wynn is not your typical female in old London. She has had a hard life but has been taken in by a group of women (the Maidens of Mayhem) who have committed to help fight injustice. As part of her fight, Scarlet (Who is stunningly beautiful), has a dressmaker adapt her clothing to help her fight off bad guys and escape. One day when she goes to pick up her latest order from her seamstress, she finds the young lady missing. In asking around, she finds that the young woman was also working as a prostitute. She goes to the brothel to see what she can find out. While there, she encounters the Duke of Aylesford. (A breathtakingly handsome, rugged, muscular, man) They meet and are at once magnetically attracted to each other. Ambrose is not there for the brothel services but to see if he can also find a missing girl. His brother was the frequenter of the brothel and was concerned about the young lady that he liked to visit.

It might be possible at this point that you think that perhaps this is not the type of romance novel you read years ago. You are correct. It appears to me that there is more sex in the romance novels of today. Back in the olden days, there was illusion but not description. So, there is sex in this book because, well, the attraction was just so strong. A kiss was just so overpowering that they could not stop there.

This is a big, lusty book. There are fights and rescues. There is love and passion. There are the good guys and the bad guys. A fun read. If you read to escape this is a good way to escape without having to think much. And don’t we all need to escape occasionally? So, go enjoy a romance as they are written today.

Thanks for reading!

Another great first from Anabelle Bryant!

In this first book in the Maidens of Mayhem series, we meet Scarlett. Scarlett is living in a world the TON knows nothing about, and if they do, they don't care. She was brought up in a world most women would shudder to find themselves in. But Scarlett is strong, smart, resourceful and brave as well as one of four in the Maidens of Mayhem, a group of women determined to help those in need.

While trying to find her missing seamstress, Scarlett traces her to a brothel where she comes across Ambrose, a serious, top lofty Duke who is trying to figure out what happened to her as well. They join forces to help solve the mystery of the missing prostitutes and in doing so find themselves not only embroiled in a dangerous game of life and death, but in working together they find strength in themselves and in each other.

This was an amazing story packed full of danger, intrigue, passion, mystery and love. Anabelle Bryant has the skill to draw you in and keep you hooked. She makes her characters relatable, while tackling real world issues in a way that makes you feel like you're part of the story. It's hard to put her books down!

This is a must read for any lover of mystery and historical fiction. I can't wait to read more adventures from the other Maidens of Mayhem.

I was given an ARC in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! the characters are believable, complex, interesting and quirky! The details are vivid and a wonderful storyline. A wonderful start to a new series by an author who can capture your attention on the very first page and keep you turning the pages to the very end! This book won't disappoint! A Must read!

Duchess If You Dare begins The Maidens of Mayhem series with the romance of a most unlikely, under usual circumstances, couple… but these are certainly not “usual circumstances” that Ambrose and Scarlett find themselves in. Each is searching for answers to a mystery, and it turns out those searches cross and meld into the same line of clues. Can a stuffy Duke and a knife-throwing commoner find a way into each other’s hearts?

Scarlett is searching for a seamstress who has disappeared and is determined to find out what happened to her. Should the clues take her into the back alleys of London, or lead to a brothel well Scarlett isn’t afraid of anything… except, perhaps, emotions like she’s experiencing around one very stubborn, stuffy Duke. I happen to love a kick butt, take names kind of female lead, and that fits Scarlett perfectly. I also enjoy a clueless hero, and Ambrose is certainly that when we first meet. Watching Ambrose grow as he spends time with Scarlett and leaves behind some of that stuffiness was a delightful part of this story.

Duchess If You Dare is a good story to start off the new series. We are exposed to a side of society that we don’t often see up close in Historical Romance, the darker side of poverty, and the powerlessness of women who are not of the ton with their protections or affluence. I would describe Scarlett as a historical woman with the same passions women fight for today, trapped in a time when that battle often leads to disappointment. There is danger, intrigue, mysteries to be solved and an unlikely couple to fall in love in spite of the challenges ahead of them.

I enjoyed Duchess If You Dare on so many levels, yet there were, frankly, other times that I wanted more background information on these characters. I’m hoping that some of my unanswered questions will come to light as the series continues. I love this author’s work, she always delivers a story that I enjoy. This time I found myself wanting a little bit more knowledge of the characters, main and secondary, to make them come to life for me. I really want to know more about the group of women that make up The Maidens of Mayhem, and I’ve no doubt that will come, and I’ll be waiting patiently for the next title in this series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This ine just wasn't my cup of tea. I just wanted to leave it DNF, but I finish it.... And still nothing really happened...
So sorry.

Unfortunately this book was a miss for me.
I couldn’t careless about the characters and I didn’t feel any real chemistry between the two main characters.
I felt like the author was trying too hard.
I ended up DNF-ing at 62%.
I’ve rated it 2 stars because I am required to - I don’t like rating books I haven’t finished.

Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for an eARC copy. Opinions express are my own.

They met in a brothel.

Scarlett is looking for her friend. Linney/Daisy who works in a brothel and who has gone missing.
Ambrose is a duke who is continually dealing with his feckless brother, Martin, who frequently visits Daisy in the brothel. Martin gets Ambrose to help search for Daisy, and hence, that's how Ambrose and Scarlett come to a shared purpose.

I liked how uptight and by the book Ambrose is,. I liked that he did not frequent brothels and was a pretty upstanding gentleman and how he took on doing the right thing for a working girl.

Recommend.

This is the first book in the Maiden's of Mayhem series.
The Maidens are a group of 4 women who strive to right the injustices against women.
In this story, Scarlett, is trying to find out what happened to her friend Linnie. She disappeared without word and Scarlett is concerned.
At the same time the Duke of Aylesford, Ambrose, at the request of his brother, is investigating the abuse of women in a brothel.
The two investigations bring these 2 people together. They decide to work together and share information. The attraction between them is instantaneous. But they are from 2 different worlds, so they try to keep things professional.
This was a good story with a few twists and turns. I enjoyed it but it did drag a little at times.
Very good but not great. 4⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

This book was definitely not for me. I DNF at 20%, which was unfortunate. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

“Either way, my curiosity was piqued. How could I resist a rare invitation from a Maiden of Mayhem, a beautiful and vigilant fighter against crime? I’d be a fool.”

Annabelle Bryant takes you on another exciting mystery solving story in regency London but made it even more thrilling and exciting with her romance between a duke and a clever commoner who knows how to throw a knife.

The background story is quite simple but effective. It starts with Scarlett searching for her friend who disappeared after being last seen in a brothel. There she encounters our grumpy duke, who is trying to solve the mess in which his little brother put himself. As they pursue their own goals, they realize that their paths are intertwined and decide to work together (or more accurately to allow one another to seduce the other one and get seduced). If the mystery story is good enough to hold some interest for most of the book, the quality started to decrease towards the end... (it did gain some thrill back in the last few chapters but it was not the smoothest end to a plot) which is a bit disappointing but to be fair, this fault in the storytelling was completely balanced by the romance part of the story. I really was more compelled to see how would Ambrose and Scarlett resolve their romantic conflict than solving the disappearance of the seamstress!

The first reason might be that Scarlett was a well written, badass, self-confident, glorious fighter lady. That wearing trousers and throwing knives at men is her daily agenda, alongside solving the wrongs done to women in the city and with an extra time slot for saving dukes in a fight or passionate kissing in dark alleys! I mean, doesn't she sound like the perfect heroine?

The second reason would then probably be our duke, Ambrose being a grumpy older brother, a slighty idiotic alpha on the edge (he is a duke after all) but redeems himself by being a clever compassionate man who wills himself to learn and do better. I really like how whenever he did sound condescending and annoying, his character naturally grows and offers better ideas and thoughts a few lines or chapters later. Often nowadays male heroes are just a bit too polished and sadly men aren't that charming and therefore those characters become less appealing as they are just too perfect. But i do enjoy a rough duke learning and changing his opinions when life helps him opening his eyes. And as a side note, i also appreciate a Duke who offers you a warm bath and strawberries with cream after you just risked being killed... honestly *chef's kiss* on his part!

I also enjoy a duke learning his lessons by the hand of a fierce lady and for the love of her. The third reason was Scarlett and Ambrose's romance. Even if it is a a case of insta lust, the fiery and passionate side (why do kisses in dark alleys are so exciting, i don't know…

"Kissing in public, never mind a dark alley in a questionable neighborhood, was improper. Indecent. Downright reckless. The actions of a second son. Not a duke. But damn, it was glorious".

but my sensible self just loves this risky non sense a lot, just like Ambrose) grows into an angsty romance when they acknowledge all the reasons that keep them apart (little romeo & juliet vibe), and i do love a good forbidden romance... Again, their conflict did resolve itself a bit quickly but the last chapters are so well paced and lead to such an exciting thrill when their emotional journey peak with the solving of the mystery that it really didn't matter in the following chapters were a big weak…

That's how taken i was with Annabelle Bryant storytelling, i didn't get disappointed by some weakness because i cared too much about our heroes emotions and their romance!! I will also had that some lines were perfectly lovely and beautifully written. This romance is out tomorrow, on the 30th of March!

PS: the next hero is called sebastian and i am obviously over the moon about this new seb romance hero!!

early copy was kindly provided by netgalley.

Scarlett grew up on the streets of London after her mother, forced into prostitution to survive, was killed by one of her customers. As an adult, Scarlett wanted to right wrongs against women, joining three other women as the Maidens of Mayhem. Ambrose is the traditional, staid Duke. Prepared to do his duty to the title, remain scandal-free, and undertake his responsibilities in Parliament. When Scarlett’s seamstress disappears and Ambrose’s brother asks him to investigate the disappearance of his regular prostitute at a brothel, their search brings them together. The two must decide how such social opposites can be together in London high society. I worry over Linie’s cat. Scarlett just left it abandoned in the tenement. Loved the last epilogue, making for the perfect ending. The subjects of prostitution and sex trafficking are handled well. Showing that poor women had little choice in how to survive on their own. Ambrose realizes he needs to break out of his small world and use his life of privilege to change laws that hurt women.

I really enjoyed Scarlett. She's fearless, good-hearted, and determined to help those less fortunate who are conveniently forgotten or ignored by London society and law enforcement. She's risen above her beginnings to become a force to be reckoned with, clever, committed, and capable of protecting not only herself but those around her, a savvy chameleon who can cross classes with ease but is always aware of her place - or lack of one - in society. I loved how she went toe-to-toe with the hero who, quite honestly, was way too used to having his own way in everything.

It took me a while to warm up to Ambrose, a stuffy duke who's pulled unwillingly into a dangerous investigation with a woman he desires, doesn't fully understand, and tells himself he can't have. He has a lengthy growth arc which I do believe was necessary for his character. He's not used to following another's lead, especially when that person is a both a commoner and a woman, and learns the hard way to listen to the person who, in this case, knows more about the workings of the grittier parts of London than he. As for his unexpected emotions, he may want to follow the direction his heart is leading him but he's held back by a lifetime of indoctrination into the rules of society as well as the duty and responsibility of his position. Capitulation that came too quickly or easily would not have been believable. In the end, I was confident in their feelings for one another and the decisions they each made regarding their future.

The mystery/action/danger portion of the book was also enjoyable. I clued in to the main villain pretty early on though it took me a while to figure out the character's end game and exactly what the full scope of the mystery was. There was also a twist near the end involving a secondary character that I didn't expect (love that) but we never find out what happens to that character, nor do we get a reckoning, which was disappointing. I wanted a more detailed explanation as well as closure for Scarlett.

If you enjoy cross-class, historical romance with a dash of action, mystery, and danger, give Duchess If You Dare a try. I think it's a promising start to this new series and am looking forward to the other maiden's stories in future books.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Duchess if you Dare by Anabelle Bryant is the first book in the Maiden of Mayhem series.

Scarlett is a strong, brave and very stubborn young woman, who works with three other ladies to help (mostly) women in London’s poor neighborhoods.

When her seamstress goes missing, she turns into Sherlock Holmes and goes searching for clues in the bad parts of town. Little does she know that a Duke is also trying to find answers, as his brother brings trouble to their door.

I liked the banter and chemistry between Scarlet and Ambrose. I would consider this a story of mystery with a side of romance. We didn’t get that much information on the secondary characters, so I’m hoping to get more in the next book. There were a few paragraphs that were just either information or thoughts of the characters and sometimes continued on for pages, before the dialogue started again. This sometimes made it difficult to remember who was talking.
Can’t wait to hear more from the Maidens of Mayhem!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have to say, I went into this pretty blind, but expecting something steamy. This was a cute story, but not much steam at all. I was hoping for more between the characters and to be honest it did feel a little disjointed. It ended very abruptly, but I did enjoy the book. It was a fast read and once I started reading I really did fly through it.

I would be interested in reading more in this series as the books are released.

A delightful new series from Anabelle Bryant that starts with Scarlet realizing that her seamstress has gone missing.
All is not what it seams and there is more sinisterness afoot. She finds herself entangled with the Ambrose, Duke of Aylesford. Together they find themselves in an unlikely friendship.



Thanks so much @kensingtonbooks and the very talented author
@anabellebryantauthor