This fun Regency era romp never sets foot in a ballroom, yet it still evokes the steam and intrigue of the period. Octavia is quick witted and impulsive, not a fan of planning or even thinking ahead from one moment to the next. Gabriel is a methodical scholar, happy to remain where he's planted. When they meet in a dispute over a house that one of their fathers may or may not have lost to the other to settle a gambling debt, sparks quickly fly as they spar verbally and lust unrequitedly. There were a few pacing issues and a bit of manufactured drama, but this was an overall satisfying read with a cast of quirky supporting characters and a hero and heroine who both grew and changed as the narrative progressed. I enjoyed the characters enough to seek out the rest of the series. A fun read for fans of Sarah MacLean and Tessa Dare.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. It took me a long time to remember who Octavia was and what had happened in the previous book so I think that took away some of my enjoyment. But even taking that into consideration I still only found the book to be kind of 'meh'. It was slightly steamier than expected which I liked but overall the story was kind of bland and overly predicable.