After Dark with the Duke by Julie Ann Long
This is Book 4 of The Palace of Rogues series and one of my favorite romances of the year. It stars Duke Valkirk, a former General and admired hero, working on his memoirs and Mariana Wylde an opera singer hiding from scandal at the Grand Palace on the Thames.

Valkirk and Mariana start out clashing. He makes comments referring to her scandal, she in turn says he is icy cold. He ends up giving her Italian lessons to help her with her singing career and through the lessons they begin to get to know and appreciate each other.

I like the author’s humor and was totally hooked into the story. This is my favorite book of the series and one of my favorite books by the author, my favorite being What I Did for the Duke. I think it was helpful to have read the first and second book in the series to better understand the other characters but it’s not necessary. I highly recommend After Dark with the Duke to readers that enjoy historical romance.

Thank you Julie Ann Long, NetGalley, and the publisher for this advanced copy of the book.

I keep hoping that JAL can bottle lightning twice with this series, writing a book that lives up to the first book in this series which was creative, refreshing, and memorable, but alas! This 4th book is nothing special. While boarding house literature is an established (but dormant) genre with its own pleasures and tropes and she has a good grasp on them, this series is increasingly straining credulity on who might reasonably be expected to take a room in a house by the docks. The 4th book pushes me to my cognitive dissonance limit by having the hero a duke, with requisite spare country properties, who takes a room at a boarding house... to help himself concentrate on writing his memoirs. This is a lot to accept from the start. The heroine is an en-scandalized (English) opera singer who is allowed into this purportedly highly-exclusive boarding house for reasons.

JAL's point of distinction in Romancelandia is her ability to write pigtail-pulling bantery flirting. There is plenty of that in the book, but I feel it got over-cranked a bit, to the point a lot of it just felt... mean. On both sides. And then we're left to imagine what happens in 5 years when they have a disagreement over something serious.

In the finale of the book, unfortunately we hit on one of my least favorite tropes in the world. The man of means decides to offer the women of poverty an allowance to be his mistress, she is offended to the heavens, she gathers her dignity about her and tells him to go to the devil, he is shamed into offering her the true prize, his hand in marriage, and she forgives him and accepts. This groveling and requisite acceptance just never feels like a real HEA to me, and always damages a book, to the point I'd appreciate if it got a standard warning like other plot things that people find offensive.

Julie Anne Long continues to write beautiful prose and create authentic, enjoyable characters. The Palace of Rogues series has been a gem, with hilarious ensemble comedy, poignant emotion, and of course the happily ever after we all crave from the romance genre. After Dark with the Duke continues the series with a match between an up-and-coming opera singer and a silver fox war hero duke.

The book hits all the right notes. Mariana shows James that the world is not as black-and-white as he once believed, and he shows her that she is worthy of love and respect. That said, the fact that this is a relationship with a nearly 20-year age gap (he's 43 and she's 25) AND some forced proximity because he's tutoring her... was tough for us to read. His son is 3 years younger than Mariana! While the relationship is presented in historical context, and he is considering marriage to a debutante years younger than either his son or Mariana, still doesn't distract from the absolute value of the age gap. We realize that this is personal preference, but it made the book a tough sell for us.

This was a lovely romance- Julie Anne Long has really been on a roll lately! I have been loving this series. The setting of the boarding house on the docks is a tad unrealistic, but it doesn't matter because the setting really makes the reader feel that you are in a quiet little vortex with the couple as they fall in love. I guess that means I was a transported reader! Highly recommend.

I AM RUINED. Totally, completely, utterly ruined. There are numerous books waiting in my queue but all I want to do is sit in the stunningly beautiful, all-encompassing emotion of this book, of these characters, in Long's exquisite command of language, of her ability to paint the most breathtakingly beautiful pictures with her words in one paragraph, then turn those brushstrokes to a sharper edge, wounding my heart and stealing my breath in the next. She is not just an exceptional wordsmith, she's a language artist and the full range of her talents is on full display within this book.

After Dark with the Duke is my favorite book so far this year. It's my favorite book that Julie Anne Long has written - and I've read all of them. It's not just a story; it's an emotional experience that I look forward to experiencing again and again. This one's a keeper and has my highest recommendation.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

He is all that is heroic, prim, and proper, and she is a walking scandal.

This couple enchanted me! They were so unique and yet, so relatable.

Marianna was an opera singer who inadvertently caused a duel between two young lords and became the main subject of all scandal sheets.

James was the son of a farmer that raised to the loft position of Duke thanks to his heroic military career. He was a national hero and a role model who had written a whole book about honor.

What a delightful story!

I love how these two different people went from judging to love each other and how they found strength in their differences.

There was an age gap, but I could hardly notice it, as the heroine was mature for her age.

There were so many memorable passages that I highlighted on my Kindle. I love when a book is insightful and witty. I don't want to give spoilers, so I will quote just one:

"I instinctively could not picture it, because... I think extraordinary circumstances are, for better or worse, the lot of extraordinary people."

Lovely book! Highly recommended!

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley for an honest review.

*This review will be posted on https://lureviewsbooks.com on 11/30/2021*

This is one of my favorite books that I read this year. The writing is lovely and the story kept me up reading late into the night. The heroine is plucky and determined to survive the vicissitudes that life throws her way. She also has an insatiable curiosity to learn and is willing to ask the seemingly cold and arrogant duke who has insulted her for help in learning Italian. And I enjoyed seeing how the Duke of Valkirk, a hero to all of England, comes to recognize how he’s misjudged Mariana and how he tries to make amends to her.

The dialogue among all the guests and employees at the fictional Grand Palace on the Thames made me smile. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Mariana and Dot as they share new words that they’ve learned.

The whole book was filled with interesting and delightful characters. It’s one of those books where I found myself wishing it wouldn’t end so I could spend more time with everyone.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This is my first book by Julie Anne Long and it won’t be my last.

This book has great pacing, fun side characters, and a new setting to HR that I really enjoyed.

Mariana is an opera singer hiding from salacious gossip and scandal and the Duke of Valkirk is a military hero writing his memoirs.

From the beginning I loved the tension between these two characters and their conflicting attraction they had for one another. Julie Anne Long has a way of writing that really draws you into the scene and care for her characters. I loved the conversations these characters had that brought them closer together and ultimately fell in love. And when there’s an age gap I’m usually scared because they can reaaaally be done poorly, but this was surprisingly well done.

Great book! Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advance review copy; all opinions are my own!

It's no secret that I love Julie Anne Long's writing, especially her Pennyroyal Green Series, but AFTER DARK WITH THE DUKE has just moved up as one of my all-time favorites of hers. JAL's balance of engaging plot and deeply character-driven storytelling, her flair for sparkling love interests with smoldering chemistry, feisty repartee, and sharp wit, is at its finest in this story of a national legend, the noble, proper, serious retired General James, Duke of Valkirk, and the feisty, resilient, talented but down-on-her luck opera star, Mariana.

Their backgrounds, stations, and circumstances couldn't be more different, but their stay at The Grand Palace on The Thames brings them together, and under the pressure cooker of forced proximity, their clashing encounters which evoke the delicious sharp-tongued, mounting tension a la Darcy and Lizzie in Pride & Prejudice, unfurl into an achingly romantic hot slow-burn, a gradual, witty, tender unfurling of emotional vulnerability and ultimately profound intimacy that is physical, emotional, even spiritual.

James and Mariana's romance captures love's triumph over fear, its call to live beyond the safe confines of identities and beliefs that no longer are true to us, and its powerful gift in liberating us to cherish and be cherished as our honest selves.

What happens when the assumptions you have made about someone's character and origin are challenged? What happens when you discover you couldn't have been more wrong -- and the person you thought was unapproachable is now irresistible? James and Mariana are about to find out.

He learns she is far more than the sum of her parts. She is beguiling and clever and string because she has been forced to wield her femininity and beauty like a weapon. They are just tools in the arsenal she needs to survive. She has been forged by the twin demons of adversity and irrepressible hope.

She learns he is more man than legend. Every life placed in his care has left its mark on his soul. Every burden laid across his wide shoulders has subdued the man he is - until even he doesn't know how to be anyone outside of the myth that surrounds him.

This love story between an opera singer and a war hero left me gasping like a mermaid stranded in the desert. It is a stunning portrayal of the attraction of opposites, the impact self-denial has on our mental health, and the disservice we do to those we place on a pedestal.

This age-gap romance with a silver fox hero is exquisitely, beautifully written.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to review an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Holy cow. This book is INCREDIBLE! Julie Anne Long's fourth book in The Palace of Rogues series has completely captured my heart, and honestly, I'm not sure which one I love more--the first book or this one. The first one was so romantic, and this one is the same way. The swoon-worthy factor of the book is off the charts, and it reminds me of the books from her Pennyroyal Green series. I can't gush enough about this story. There are so many rogues and rakes in historical romance, and James is such a refreshing change of pace for a historical romance.

This is a wonderful story of a notorious opera singer (but don't judge a book by it's cover) and a former British war hero who is the absolute opposite of a reckless and seductive rogue. They both end up as guests at The Palace on the Thames. He is staying there to write his memoirs because his town home is being renovated) and she is staying there to lie low after a scandal that she was blamed for. Sparks fly at first--but not the good kind. He is an absolute snobby butthead, and she tries her hardest to get under his skin. After a small incident in the drawing room, James agrees to make amends by tutoring Mariana in Italian so she can better understand the operas she sings. Amazing sexual tension happens, then amazing sex, then amazing love.

I can't gush enough about the excellent character development in this book. Both characters grow and open up so much throughout their story.

I can't wait to recommend this book on social media. Thank you so much to Julie Anne Long for the copy to review!

This book gave me tons of Pride and Prejudice vibes.

There was so much tension between the two characters, that it seemed at times that they wouldn’t end up together, that there was just too much animosity between the two.

I really enjoyed that we had an older widowed hero, who already had a grown heir; in this aspect we didn’t have the typical, ‘I need an heir’ storyline.

I do wish we could have seen a little more of the redemption of the heroine’s career. It seemed like it resolved itself a little too easily.

3.5 Stars.

Another delightful entry in the Palace of Rogues series from Julie Ann Long. I didn't enjoy the third book as much as the others mostly because I prefer historical romances about older people (that was the only one with a typically young and inexperienced heroine) but this fourth one is a return to form with two people who have seen some of life before meeting. I'm not sure the resolution of the conflict was entirely successful, but I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers aspect and the slow burn Italian lessons very much. Fans of the previous books will enjoy fan favorite character cameos, of course; on the whole a delightful little book.

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's been so long since I have read a book by Julie Anne Long, so I kinda forgot the buzz that she used to give me. But after reading After Dark with the Duke, I finally remember how much I used to love her books. Like seriously, this book got me hooked from the beginning till the end. I really felt like the storyline is pretty fresh and interesting which made me fell in love with it. Not only that, I also adore the characters and the chemistry that they have for one another. The way they serve enemies to lovers trope is just my favourite. Overall, it was a great read for me and I just loved many things about it. I think Julie has once again delivered an enjoyable story to all her readers where everything is just well written. I highly recommend for everyone to try this book cause it's worth it.

It is my understanding that this is part of a series, but I just dived into this book without having read the others.
There is a wonderful cast of characters and the entrance of the heroine onto the scene made me smile. Our heroine is an opera singer, escaping an angry mob, and the hero is a Duke, who comes off somewhat aloof and cold. A cold Duke who gets his comeuppance is always my personal favorite! The trope is definitely enemies to lovers, but written with so much angst that you get caught up in the story. These two are definitely at odds with each other and it is so fun to watch. This was a slow developing love story between the hero/heroine that subsequently leads them to love and learning to understand one another and accept their differences.

This was a well-written story with well developed characters that I recommend reading.

Absolutely loved this latest installment of the Palace of Rogues series. Very rarely do I cry while reading a romance, but here I am, teary eyes and all.

On a logical level, the love story between the Duke of Valkirk (a Wellington-like former general in the Napoleonic Wars) and an ambitious but scandal-ridden opera singer, Mariana Wylde, should not have worked. She is quite a bit younger, less educated, socially "inferior," and temperamentally lighter than Valkirk, the national hero and paragon of virtue. The author even introduces a romance novel third-rail in her hero's past, and still this love story works.

It is definitely not insta-love, and I appreciate how they first learn to respect one another, then develop a friendship of sorts, and then consider a romantic relationship. There is considerable angst and emotional turmoil, which are balanced by enough light and tender moments that the budding romance feels complex. Their undeniable passion for one another feels earned, and the blunders they make along the way in consequence feel inevitable. And of course, there are grand gestures and realizations of love to be made. Hence, the tears.

The Grand Palace on the Thames can feel like an insular world, but it's one I've enjoyed returning to with each installment. We still have our wonderful supporting cast: Delilah and Captain Hardy, Angelique and Lord Bolt, Mr. Delacorte, Dot, and Mrs. Periseau. (If this is your first novel in the series, go back and read from the beginning--it's worth it!) And the romance that develops between Mariana and her duke might not have been possible in a more expansive setting.

All in all, a wonderful read!

Absolutely loved After Dark with the Duke! This is my favorite novel in the series! It was so great revisiting The Grand Palace of the Thames once more. The plot and characters make this story so wonderful and so very heartfelt.

Mariana and James, the opera singer and the duke, have the enemies to lovers trope storyline that readers will love. The chemistry between the two characters sizzles with tension and angst. I could not stop reading this one!

Thank NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

After Dark with the Duke follows a disgraced opera singer and a grumpy duke who are both using a boarding house as a hideaway. After two Lords publicly duel for the affection of Mariana an opera singer, she is disgraced and forced to go into hiding. James Duncan a former general is staying at the house in an effort to avoid distractions and write his book. However, Mariana provides a very big distraction for the duke. As the singer and the Duke fall for each other, the Duke must decide if his desire to marry a titled girl is as important as his growing feelings for Mariana.

Overall, this book was a fun read and very enjoyable. I would recommend this book to all people who love historical romance.

The opera singer and the duke. Another outstanding edition of the Grand Palace on the Thames series. Ms Long weaves such a beautifully eccentric family of occupants. A very welcome change to your standard historical romance series. Our duke must look past the scandal his love for Mariana will make of his pristine respectful life.

There was nothing better than the two proprietresses reprimanding this great man.

Really loved this one!!!

"After Dark with the Duke" (The Palace of Rogues) was just wonderfully written and a somewhat love story that had its complications. The heroine, Mariana is a well-known opera singer and very successful at her profession. Unfortunately, she likes to flirt a bit and that flirtation has imploded into a duel between to close admirers and subsequently tarnishing her reputation and career. Worse yet, she is being blamed for the fiasco and takes seclusion at the Grand Palace on the Thames. Her place of refuge is a humble one and has its strict rules of the occupants that stay there.

While there are other guests who reside in the Palace, there is one duke...the Duke of Valkirk who raised himself from a lowly stature to becoming a well-known General and appointed Duke for all of his bravery. He is there to write his memoir and eventually marry. It is unfortunate that when Mariana meets him, she sees an icy and uptight man.

There are so many impossibilities with this story and the relationship between Marian and James. She is an opera singer and he is a Duke who has valor and a a relationship between the two could jeopardize all that they have accomplished in their lives. This was trope of enemies to lovers and angst that you just had to love it. I love the combative play off both characters and each not willing to back down on their convictions. This was a slow developing love story between the hero/heroine that subsequently leads them to love and learning to understand one another and their lives.

I loved the plot, whit and the characters that make the Grand Palace come alive again. The growing romance to love and HEA was heavenly. This was one well-written and heartfelt story that I recommend reading. Having not had a chance to read the others in this series, I plan on catching up soon.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.