This book had a very intriguing premise, but the book was too short. I did not feel like we got to know the characters at all and the hero was suddenly in love with the heroine.

An absolute delight! The Malbury sisters are such wonderful characters, full of independence, loyalty and love. I was enthralled from the start and could not put it down, literally read through in one sitting. I love the rapport between Tom & Isadora, she keeps him on his toes every step of the way. His relationship with his sister Charlotte is just as endearing. Being a spy for the Crown, protectiveness is engrained deep. As much as I loved the growing relationship between Tom & Isadora, the underlying story of Minerva has me anxiously awaiting the next book. We have watched Minerva’s marriage challenge unfold through two stories now and I simply must know if the ensuing challenge finally brings Drake up to scratch. The ending of this story was both a delight and a frustration, as I did not want it to end.

Lady Isadora Malbury has a wonderful group of ladies who are amazing. BUT she must stay single to continue with this group
The Duke of Avondale has his eye only on one young lady to marry. However he always wins.
Enjoying this series! Fun and entertaining. Will she bend? Will he stay true? They will. need to search for whats important and what they can't live without. The sisters in this series are just as important as the main characters. The story ends in a cliff hanger but not for the main characters. I dont believe you need to read the first to understand the second. However this book doesn't really go into why there is a wicked ladies society as this first book did.
I recieved a free copy so that I might tell you what I honestly think. Hope you enjoyed my review. Now go enjoy the book

I enjoyed this book very much. There is a cliffhanger as we don’t know what happened to the heroine’s sister and that is a bummer, but also another book to read. The air of mystery surrounds this tale as you don’t know how two strong minded people will both get their own way. It was very heartwarming how the hero changed his mind from a marriage of convenience to a love match. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
While I enjoyed this book it wasn't as good as the first in the series.
Isadora has been put in charge of the Wicked Women group and has to secure their meeting hall.
Tom has decided that he is going to marry Isadora.
The wager between the two quickly fizzles and their isn't any real tension in the book. I found Isadora kinda dull. Nothing about her stands out so I'm not sure what caused the instalove in Tom. I liked Tom a little more than Isadora.
However once again I am most interested in the secondary characters. This time Minerva and Charlottle both.

Although a sweet romance did emerge, I found this novel rather confusing. I read the first book in this series and enjoyed it, but this one is rather mysterious and I would have said that a number of events were covered in the first book, but this was not the case. Rather it would seem that one has to read the third book if you want all the answers. There seemed to be more chemistry between Isadora's sister and her brother's best friend than there was between Isadora and the Duke of Avondale. Tom is so used to playing spy games that when it comes to the lady he wants to court, he cannot help himself but make wager after wager to entice her. All in all, I was rather disappointed in this novel and really hope that Minerva's story will bring some enlightenment. I received a copy of this novel as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I expected to like this book as I have read the authors books before however I found myself somewhat indifferent. The character's didn't seem to develop enough for me to like them and the whole spy thing seemed to take over. Also there was no mention of anyone in the book being Scottish yet the author insisted on using Aye and nay for all the character's which drove me to distraction as a UK reader and ruined the story was tempted to give a 2 but upped it to 3 as it wasn't a badly written book in itself. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lady Isadora Malbury is really going to enjoy her season this year. She is taking over as the leader of the Wicked Ladies . They are a secret group of unmarried ladies who want to enjoy some excitement without risk to their or their family's reputation. She is checking to find out if a prospective new member can be trusted to keep the secrets.
Our heroine is very intelligent. She and her sisters are very close but each often hide things to protect each other.
Thomas Grandstone, Duke of Avondale is an agent for the Crown, but has decided that it's time for him to choose a wife. Once he found the perfect woman, he was surprised to learn she has no interest in marriage at all.
Our hero will have to use every weapon in his sneaky spy way to win his heart's desire.
A fascinating historical romance full of intrigue and fun. Our clever and mischievous characters keep us involved with the story from start until the finish and beyond. Although you could read this book on it's own, I think the series is best read in order. I will definitely be reading the next one.
I loved it.

When a lady has avoided marriage meets a handsome man who is ready to find a bride, what are the chances they end up together?

Lady Isadora has enjoyed being a member of the Wicked Ladies Salon and is glad she has lasted the season without a proposal. She loves a gamble!

The Duke of Avondale is ready to wed and have someone who he can confide in.. His job as an agent for the Foreign office demands it.

When these two meet up and she finds herself in a wager with the Duke! What could possibly happen?

Thomas Grandstone, Duke of Avondale, is known as the Duke of Aces when playing cards. It is not luck to win when he plays, but the mind of a spy for the Home Office. Napoleon may be on St. Helena, but rumors are that those loyal may try to help him escape. After a house party at his estate in Scotland, Avondale's observance of Lady Isadora Malbury conviences him she will make an excellent Duchess. Can she be trusted if he reveals his work with the Home Office. Would she go with him on an assignment? In the mean time, Isadora is now the leader of the Wicked Ladies Salon. Wembly Hall is available to lease for their activities, unfortunately Avondale wants to bid for the lease, too. Wagers commence between the two for the lease and Tom's chance to court Isadora. Isadora agrees to the wagers, but her sister Minerva has to marry first. All they need is a plan. A frustrated Duke on a mission and a lady with a mind of her own.
Heat level 4 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Enjoyed the story. The time period was interesting as well as the spy side story.

It was fun reading this book. It kept my interest and did not repeats facts over and over. Sometimes authors think we are dense and must have feelings explained many times over. Such a waste of time to just make the book appear larger. The story is captivating and you cannot help but fall in love with the characters. A book worth reading.

Lady Isadora Malbury has a problem. She is determined not to wed until her older sister is married. Isadora has already lasted two years of the ton without a single proposal. Hopefully, she will be able to make it another year. However, she has been chosen to lead the secret Wicked Ladies Salon and things are going well until she makes a wager with the haughty Duke of Aces for her hand. Little does she realize that the duke works for the Foreign Office and needs a wife he can trust to help him with his assignments. What an interesting concept this is for her life as she does enjoy mysteries. This is an enjoyable adventure full of wonderful characters and excitement.

Isadora was quite a complex character, with a group of strangers she was quite shy and liked to keep in the background but when Thomas, Duke of Avondale was near her she had quite a different feeling. Isadora is also adventurous and belongs to a special secret ladies club. Tom had decided it was time for him to choose a bride and was thinking of a marriage of convenience but he just couldn’t get Isadora out of his mind. This story moves along at a good pace and was an entertaining read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hanging my boots on this one. I cannot do it. DNF at 40%

I had recieved an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It wasn't a bad story per se, but she many things went wrong with this one.

1. The protagonists have no chemistry. Either they themselves are so very confused or they managed to confuse the heck out of me. They felt so many things, in varying degrees without any preclude that made my head spin. Who are they are people? What are their aspirations? What do they wish to accomplish by the end of the book? I was never given a clue.

2. Subtext Subtext Subtext
I'm guessing reading the first book in the series will give me more context into what in the blue heavens is happening. And diving into this book without subtext is akin to torture. There are just too many characters, who are not introduced with a freshness for the debut reader, but rather with a baggage that gets lost in translation. I couldn't keep track of them and frankly I couldn't bring myself to care. The only character I found remotely interesting was Minerva but she too was so complex and shown so little that I lost my interest.

3. An unholy espionage mess
So the hero is a spy, the hero's 18-year old sister is a spy, the heroine is astute and can be a spy, the heroine's sister is as good as a spy. What in the blazes is going on? And what or on whom are they all spying over? If this does make sense in the end, the 40% of the story didn't captivate enough to stay till the end to find out.

4. If they say 'wicked ladies' once more I will commit arson
I get that the options for career, nay living was limited to women in the past, but this is a naive interpretation of what ladies were/could be upto. If you are something, you won't say(yell) it 50 times in 50 pages. SHOW DON'T TELL. not even once could I say oh yes they were wicked by their actions. Again, subtext. I felt like so much was taken for granted because this is the second book in a series. But even in a series that borrows storylines the readers deserves the courtesy of a summary. This was brutal.

5. I just didn't care for anything or anyone in this word. 40% in and I couldn't care less if either of these characters suffered a brutal death. I just don't care. And that's a sad state to leave your reader in.

Once again I want to say that this wasn't a particularly bad book, but the combination of all the things it contained went horribly wrong.

Is gambling for your future worth the consequences? Find out in a wonderful, witty, exciting historical romance. The Duke of Avondale and the only woman to catch his eye, Lady Isodora are a perfect match. Their banter, chemistry and adoration of each other made the story unputdownable. The mix of intrigue made it even better.

What I loved:
Their chemistry
Adoration for their family
Side characters
Intrigue

What I didn't love as much:
The bet does not follow through to the end
too much focus on side characters at times (even though I loved them)
Spend most of their time bantering instead of getting to know each other

It was a great story that I would definitely recommend and I look forward to learning more about Minerva and Drake in the next book.

The Duke meets his match in this lovely story. Two families with intriguing siblings and special skills to boot. I thoroughly enjoy how they match wits with each other and how they thoroughly suit reach other. Definitely looking forward to Minerva’s and Charlotte’s stories.

Received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.l

4.25 Stars
Lady Isadora Malbury must remain unwed if she wishes to continue to be a member of the exclusive and secret Wicked Ladies Salon. Having survived two Seasons already without a single proposal, one more shouldn’t be a challenge, that is until she finds herself wagering with the pompous Duke of Aces for her hand. Thomas Grandstone, The Duke of Avondale has decided it’s time to wed. As an agent for the Foreign Office, he needs a woman who can keep a secret. Spying the reserved and aloof Lady Isadora at his summer house party, Avondale believes he’s identified the perfect candidate to become the next Duchess of Avondale. Except, the woman has no interest in marriage, but she does have a fondness for taking risks.
This is the second book in the series & another delightful read. Isadora is feisty, intelligent & determined that her elder sister Minerva will wed first. I loved Tom a swoon worthy hero who isn’t used to losing. I loved how his ideas about marriage changed as he got to know Isadora. The pace is good & the characters have depth, I particularly liked Charlotte & hope she has her story & of course the enigmatic Minerva – I can't wait for her story.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

It's a gamble.

He's the Duke of Aces, with Lady Luck on his shoulder. He's gonna need it when he takes on Lady Isadora, maybe the next Ice Queen of the Wicked Ladies Salon. They are both members of clandestine organizations. Thomas, the Duke of Avondale has decided Lady Isadora is the one to wed,. it will be convenient for him as a spy. Isadora thinks he's a peacock and wants nothing to do with him,. She enjoys her puzzles and being part of the Wicked Ladies Salon. But maybe love is a gamble they will both roll the dice on?

Recommend.
4.5

The Duke of Avondale needs a wife and has identified the ideal candidate. Unfortunately for him, Lady Isadora has her own plans and they definitely don’t include marriage. However when the two of them meet, they find they have a shared liking for wagers and a similar tendency to win - who will come out on top in this case…?

This felt like a much more rounded and better plotted book than the first in the series. Both main characters are layered and sympathetic, not to mention slightly blindsided by the way they develop feelings for each other. Their sisters are also both fascinating: it does rather feel like the whole series has been leading up to Minerva’s story and I’m intrigued to see where that goes, but Charlotte will also hopefully get her turn. A delightful read with a few steamy moments - but like its predecessor in the series, the book could really do with a good proof reader. Typos happen, but a character shouldn’t go from Bane to Bain and back again within a couple of paragraphs!