This is Book 2 in the Scandalous Brides series and was such a fun read. Ms. Boyd always does such a great job of creating unique and interesting characters and stories that catch my attention from the very beginning and keep me engaged till the very end and this story was no different. Win has been struggling all her life. She disguises herself as a man and finds it easier to survive that way since it is such a man's world she lives in. She works hard and does well for herself at whatever job she finds. When she becomes valet to Lord Stratford, youngest brother of a duke, all seems to be going well until he discovers her ruse. Stratford is helping his brother trying to put their financial situation to rights after their father left it in such bad shape. Their family cannot afford any scandal now, especially one that is such an alluring beauty as Win. But he can't help the way he feels about her and the connection they share is quite special. Their high stakes romance was quite exciting and I found I could not put their story down and had to just keep reading. The story was well-written and the chemistry the characters shared was amazing. This is a great addition and I look forward to continuing the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Dane Winston, 'Win' has been acting, dressing and living as a man since she was born. Since the discovery of her secret by her father she has been on the run. Not staying long in any town or in any employment, but still as a man. When she becomes the valet to Lord Stratford, she thinks she will be able to keep her secret and earn a good wage.

Lord Stratford Sweet is the youngest brother of the new Duke of Ravenswood. He is artistic, disorganised and always late. Having to leave his valet at an inn on his way to Ravenswood, due to an accident, he hires Win. With a house full of friends and family vying for the favour of the new Duke, Stratford discovers Win's secret.

How will Stratford react to the secret that Dane is really a woman? Will they be able to keep their hands of each other? What will happen when Win's father turns up at Ravenswood as a guest? And will this all end in scandal?

Thanks to Netgalley and Heather Boyd for an early copy of this book.

This was so much fun! It was edge of the seat stuff waiting for Stratford to figure it all out. I've never read a book with this premise before. The Sweet brothers were fun to read and as the second novel in a series I look forward to reading more about the brothers. No full on spice scenes, just foreplay, but still so much fun.

4.5 stars

After the death of his father, the Duke of Ravenswood, Lord Stratford Sweet is on his way home to Ravensworth Palace to meet with his brothers and figure out the state of the dukedom. He is already running late (as usual) when his valet is injured and he is forced to take on a replacement, Dane Winston. A man who seems oddly familiar, but for the life of him, Stratford cannot figure out why. When they finally arrive at Ravensworth Palace, he leaves Winston to settle in and finds his brothers, Algernon, the new duke, Lord Nash, the spare, and Lord Jasper, the rake and only a year older than Stratford. It is then that he learns that the dukedom is mired in debt and that his brothers have promised Algernon their personal fortunes to help bail him out. While giving up his newly inherited estate is hard, he will gladly give it up to help his eldest brother, it is the shock of learning about his father’s mismanagement that is harder to accept and something the brothers want to keep under wraps as long as possible, especially from the family. But even this information pales in comparison to learning that his new valet is not the man he assumed he was because she is not a man at all!

Dane Winston has spent her life living a lie, first to protect her mother and then to protect herself. Her mother lied to her father, telling him she gave birth to a boy and forced Dane to play the part of their son but when her lie is exposed her mother takes Dane and they run for their lives, sadly her mother is killed when their coach goes off a bridge, but Dane swims to safety and never looks back. She works in an inn and is thrilled to be given the temporary position of valet to Lord Stratford Sweet, but all too soon he sees through her disguise and opens a whole new world to her. Dane plans to enjoy the short time they have, knowing it can’t last, but when her past catches up with her, will she run or trust Stratford, the man she has fallen in love with to keep her safe? And even if he can, is there any way they can share a future that won’t ruin them?

This is actually the second book I have read recently that used this unusual plot device and surprisingly, the two books couldn’t have been more different! And while they were both enjoyable reads, I felt that this one was a bit easier to believe the ruse because she wasn’t living with her family, she keeps to herself and lives a very small, lonely life – that is until she meets Stratford. The story is filled with lies, secrets, wonderful characters, steamy love scenes, surprising revelations, shocking twists, and finally a very interesting and satisfying HEA! This is the second book in the series, but I believe each title can be read as a standalone title with no problems at all. I enjoyed this story and will be looking forward to the next installment.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

An engaging read as Dane “Win” was born female but has lived and acted as a male the entirety of life.
Dire circumstances leave her struggling to survive in the world when she comes upon a position as a valet to Stratford Sweet, the youngest brother of a Duke. As they become accustomed to each other, Stratford discovers her secret identity and they become fond of each other. Family problems rear their head and Win’s former life comes into the picture. Plot twists and decisions on the way to go forward become difficult.
A fascinating plot with well developed characters and charismatic banter throughout the story.
Part of a series regarding the Sweet family so characters are intertwined but easily read alone.

This is the second book in the Scandalous Brides series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone. The story follows Lord Stratford, the youngest brother of the Duke of Ravenswood, and Dane Winston, a woman posing as Stratford’s male valet.

Win has lived her entire life as a male because of the scheming machinations of her mother. As an adult on her own, Win finds it easier to pose as a male in a man’s world. She’s a compelling character with a heartbreaking backstory, and she has worked hard to become independent and self-sufficient going from town to town and job to job before her disguise is revealed. Since Win is a hard worker and really good at her job, things go quite smoothly, until Stratford figures out Win’s ruse.

Stratford is another interesting character. An accomplished artist, he is not the easiest person to serve, and he’s known for being late, disheveled, and unabashedly charming. I thought he was great, and I loved the growing relationship between him and Win. They have so much chemistry, and once her identity is revealed, the sparks really fly! However, both know if they are found out, it could cause a major scandal, which would tarnish them both. Win is used to leaving before the going gets tough, and Stratford doesn’t need any more entanglements, but they can’t deny how they feel. Theirs isn’t a high-stakes romance, but it does have its share of obstacles, and I was curious how they would resolve some of the lies and deceptions made.

I also liked the secondary characters, especially Stratford’s brothers and a few of the other houseguests in attendance. The relationships between Stratford and his brothers intrigued me. They are all so different, yet they are united in their support and love for each other. Like Win, the brothers didn’t have the kindest upbringing, yet they remain deeply connected to each other and the land they are working so hard to save. And I’m really curious about Stratford’s other brothers, especially the brother with children and a missing wife. His story sounds super intriguing!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Heather Boyd for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Forced to dress as a male since birth, Win still finds she must do it to make it in a man’s world. Becoming Lord Stratford’s valet causes her eyes to be opened even further. When Stratford finally discovers her hidden gender he becomes attracted to her. They must find a solution to her emergence as a woman. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author for my honest review.

*I’d like to thank Heather Boyd and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Desperately Seeking Seduction” by Heather Boyd is the second book in the “Scandalous Brides”-series and tells the story of Lord Stratford and his valet Dane Winston. Lord Straford is the fourth in line for the title Duke of Ravenwood and is desperately trying to solve the financial problems of his family. Dane Winston is Stratford’s replacement valet who is actually a lady in disguise. During a summer party at the Ravenwood estate secrets get revealed and the sparks of romance turn into the fire of love.

“Desperately Seeking Seduction” is a sweet and short story with one of my alltime favourite tropes: girl pretending to be boy, only to meet a boy who went into a full on bisexual crisis only to find out that the boy he is crushing on is a girl. If you're looking for a quick fix for that trope, I can definitely recommend this book. It's lighthearted, heart warming and easy to read. Though the story is rushed at parts and slightly bonkers, one can definitely have a good time reading it. Do not expect a life changing novel, but something to sweeten an otherwise grey spring afternoon.

For the short time spent with the characters, Stratford and Winston are fairly well written characters that one can find themself to like. Stratford can be arrogant and pushy at times, but he usually has the best of others at heart. Winston is a bit of a quick shot, always on her feet when even a hint of danger is near. She can appear overdramatic, but I still understood her struggle and her reaction to it.

A lot of the reveal and resolution of conflict were a bit underwhelming and I still miss that final scene of intimacy, but it does feel finished once one gets to the end. Otherwise the story is quite straightforward and one gets what is written on the back.

I am curious about the other brothers, especially the one with the kids and runaway wife. This could be an interesting and fun story to read.

Overall, a read when one needs something light and mildly bonkers, but no real substance.

**Review will be posted on GoodReads simultaneously as the feedback is sent to the author, publisher & NetGalley.

This is the second part in Scandalous Brides series and it follows the story of the youngest brother of Duke of Ravenswood, Lord Stanford and his valet, who turns out to be a woman.

I enjoyed the story very much. It was nicely balanced. I laughed and was very interested.

My problem was that someone moments felt very rushed. But that happens sometimes when the book is shorter that 300 pages. Shame but not the end of the world :)

I can’t wait to read next book in the series and I hope that this one will be longer! Fingers crossed 🤞